Puppet Strings
by Moofy-Fan
Summary: The revolution is over, but the story is far from complete. King Myrrha is nothing but a puppet, and he isn't the only one under control. Just how are a powerless king and simple maid named Nana supposed to find a way to bring true equality to Sailand? What you perceive is only half of the story, and the other half is something you would never imagine in your wildest dreams.
1. Revolution

Well, what do we have here? I did not think I would be starting another story so soon. I'm really excited though, so I figured that six multi-chapter stories isn't too bad.I have to give thanks and credit for the idea to Kay Hau, as well as helping me think of a whole lot of the details and plot points. Really, this is more of a collaboration than anything. She was also amazing enough to beta this for me, and it's much better than what I originally had. If you haven't read her stories, I highly suggest them.

Summary: +Anima have revolted in Sailand, and set up a king of their own. Myrrha is nothing more than a puppet though, and the ideals of the revolution are not shared by all those pulling the strings. When Nana, a simple maid servant newly released from slavery finds this out, how is she supposed to get the support in order to create a truly equal Sailand? It's not like famous war heroes like the Angel of Death will ever listen to her, right?

Chapter 1 - Revolution

Prince Myrrha frowned as he looked out the window in his room. His fingers were practically digging into the stone, but all he could do was wait until orders went out to evacuate.

Personally, he thought they should have done that a while ago. It'd gotten much too dangerous to stay here months ago, back when Crystala was… Anyway, there wasn't anything he could have done about the delay. There were just too many people in the harem to move them all safely, and even if he did think of something they could do, it wasn't like anyone would have listened to him.

He'd lost all standings in the royal line a year ago, when he'd became a +anima. Really, he knew he was just lucky to still be living here in relative comfort instead of being sold as a slave. Even if his very existence was kept a secret from the public, they were letting him stay. After all, what a disgrace it would be if anyone found out that the former crown prince had turned into a +anima. Much better everyone think he died in that pond.

Sighing, he managed to tear himself away from the disturbing view and practically crashed down on his bed. He would have left his room if he could, but it was always locked on important days like today. Days when all of the nobles who still supported the king came to meet, and perfect days to end a revolution.

Someone else had to of noticed the mob of people practically inside of the palace, right? His window was high up, to help prevent anyone who might visit from seeing him, but it wasn't as high as the guard towers. They should see the mob long before he did.

Thankfully, or else he probably would have exploded from the anxiety bubbling inside his chest, his door swung open. A panicked looking guard stood there. Myrrha immediately got to his feet and waited for whatever she had to say, trying to pretend that he wasn't breathing as deeply as he was. He had known that something like this was going to happen eventually. That damn revolution had spread like wild fire after his aunt's death, after all.

'Prince Myrrha, please come with me," she said, and that was all the silver haired boy needed to start following her down the curved hallway.

Of course, since they were trying to hide him away, his room wasn't on the same floor as all the other royal children. Instead, it was one above the queens'. Even knowing that there wouldn't be that many people running around on his floor to escape, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath of air in when he went down the stairs.

There were people everywhere, frantically attempting to leave. It was mostly queens, although he could spot a few of the royal children running around, most likely looking for their mothers. He was lucky that someone even remembered he was up there to begin with.

The guard that had brought him down was almost instantly lost from his view in the panic, and the child tried to keep his calm as he made his way down the hallway.

Don't run around screaming like those stupid queens, he lectured himself. Losing your cool during emergencies was the easiest way to end up getting hurt or killed, and this was definitely an emergency. He wouldn't live if he went into a panic like them. Once he caught sight of his mother however, he couldn't help but yell for her and run to catch up. "Mom!" he called, reaching her side as fast as possible.

"Myrrha," Marien said, sounding extremely relieved at the sight of him. The silver boy realized that she had probably been the one to send the guard to free him. Before he was able to thank her or ask what to do, she pulled him into a very quick hug. He wasn't even able to register what was going on before she let go and started pulling him further down the hallway by his arm. He let her lead the way. She was smart, she would be able to find some way out of the palace safely.

The only thing he could do was hold onto her hand as tight as he could as they forced themselves down the crowded staircase. He didn't dare fall, knowing he'd be trampled, or lose his mother the same as he'd lost the guard.

If only he could just tell everyone to stop panicking! They'd all die if they didn't! Some people were even running up the stairs instead of down. The only exits were on the bottom floor, if they kept going the opposite way, they would just get cornered by the attackers. They just had to go down and try as get out as fast as possible before the palace was completely overthrown.

Myrrha felt his breath hitch when they finally made it down to the bottom of the stairs, suddenly aware of the desire to turn around and go back the way they came. He hadn't expected so many +anima to be inside the palace walls already. What had happened to all their guards?

"How'd they get in so fast?" the prince couldn't help but exclaim. His mother didn't stop pulling him down the hallway as she answered, but she didn't sound anything like Myrrha was used to. Her voice came out hitched and uncertain, nothing like the calm authority she usually carried.

"I don't know," was all she managed to get out, before pulling him out of range of from a swipe by one of the beasts slaughtering those around them. Myrrha didn't let himself focus on any of that though.

They were on the princes' floor now. Most of the ones being attacked were his age or younger. He made sure to keep himself staring straight ahead, not letting himself look at any of it. He just had to leave with his mother. Once they got out, they would be able to find some place to hide until it was safe again. Then they could find everyone else who survived, and… he didn't know, but he could focus on that after they escaped.

The silver boy stumbled forward when something pushed him away from Marian. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it was actually his mother, and barely managed not to scream when he saw why. Instead, it just came out as a pitiful squeak.

A huge half human, half bird monster holding his mother with sharp talons. They were already starting to dig into her skin, staining her blue dress with red. His mother never wore red.

"Myrrha, run!" she screamed, and the young boy didn't need to be told twice.

Nothing about this was right at all. She never raised her voice either, but he couldn't think about that as he tried to get as far away from the attacking +anima as he could. Every so often he would stumble over something, but he didn't slow down to see what.

They weren't bodies. They couldn't be.

He couldn't remember what had happened in-between being separated from his mother and ending up in the garden, but the instant he saw the lone pond he actually managed to form a plan.

It was a horrible plan. He would still be captured. But at least he would be able to fight back. Maybe he could find some way out through the pond, although he doubted it. He knew about the waterways, but he was almost positive that their were grates on the openings.

Myrrha ran as fast as his skinny legs would take him towards the ponds edge despite all this. He dived into the pond water, putting his plan in motion.

He hadn't been in here since the day he became a +anima, but he didn't think about that as his legs started to fuse together into a thick fish tail. Sharp fins sprouted out at his waist and on his arms, and boney spines grew on his shoulders. He tried not to flinch as unfamiliar sharp teeth bit into his tongue and caused it to bleed slightly.

Fighting anima form. He'd only went into it once before, just to see what it was like. It was his only hope at the moment. Even if he couldn't escape, maybe he could hide there long enough for them to leave.

He wasn't able to get fully under the water before one of the revolutionaries grabbed a fistful of his hair. Swinging his arm out, he felt the blade like side of his fin slice into the bird +anima's skin. The attacker instantly pulled back with a yelp, and Myrrha slipped under the water. His scream cause another intruder to notice the scene however, and he seemed to pick up on what exactly had happened faster than the bird man.

"He's a +anima!" the second one yelled as the bird man tried wade into the water to attack Myrrha once again. The silver boy quickly aimed his blade-like fins at his legs, sending the +anima scrambling back to shore. It wasn't the same as fighting with a staff or above water, that was for sure, but it was still fighting. Even after his lessons had decreased due to his fall in standings, he had still been one of the best fighters out of all the princes.

"It doesn't matter! He's royalty!" the one who kept trying to attack him countered, lunging at the water a third time. This time, the silver boy bit him with his new fangs before diving back under the water before the attacker could get a hit on him. Myrrha could only guess that the birdman had seen how he was dressed before he transformed. In his mind, he curse himself for his looks. It wasn't the first time he'd done so, but it was definitely the only time where they might have gotten him killed.

Beneath the water, Myrrha could just barely hear the bird shouting in pain and frustration at not being able to catch one little brat. He peaked his eyes above the waterline in the middle of the pond. Too far away for anyone on the shore to reach him, the curiosity of what was going on above water getting to him. There was a larger group surrounding the pond now, and most seemed confused as to what to do.

"We're not supposed to kill other +anima though!" he heard one of them yell, but he hadn't been able to tell who.

His entire brain felt scattered beyond belief, and yet still focused solely on fighting. Just because they said they wouldn't kill anima, he highly doubted that. It was probably just a trick to get him to come out of the water. He carefully scanned all of the people around him, waiting for one to attack again.

"What's going on here!" someone yelled from above, and instinctively Myrrha looked up to see who. What looked like an older teen with huge hawk wings and talons descended next to the pond.

Myrrha's frown grew. He'd heard stories about this one, if he was correct. Kazana, one of the main leaders and instigators of the revolution. Of course such a person would be here to oversee the end of it.

"Sir, one of the princes!" the +anima that had attempted to stop the bird man the first time said, pointing towards Myrrha with a clawed finger.

The war leader followed where he was pointing, and was just able to make out of form of the fish child glaring at him under the water. The shock on the black haired teen's face was clear once the realization dawned on him. His stern expression completely left him, changing into a dumbstruck stare, his eyes seeming about to fall out of his head. All Myrrha did was bare his fangs in a growl as he allowed his head to come just slightly out of the water. He couldn't help but want to know what he was going to try to do to him.

No one did anything as Kazana thought, but the silver boy was positive he was going to order his death. It was like the other bird has said. Myrrha was still royalty, and they were sparing none of them.

"This could work for us," mused Kazana, before gesturing at the child. "Capture him, but don't hurt him!" Myrrha looked almost like someone had physically hit him with those words. There was no way he was going to let himself get caught by the people who'd been so bent on capturing and killing his entire family. He couldn't get himself to move at first though, the shock from what the commander had said leaving him momentarily stunned.

Immediately several other winged +anima flew over the pond, attempting to grab him out of the water. Myrrha was just barely able to get under the surface and out of the reach of their talons.

The silver boy didn't notice the other figure that had slipped into the pond until large arms grabbed him from behind. Whoever it was started to pull the struggling child to the surface. He managed to see in his attempts to get away that it was another fish +anima and felt like an idiot for not thinking that there might be another one here. Soon, he was forced onto dry land, several of the other intruders pulling him farther away from the water. It seemed that each time he managed to get one to let go of him, someone else just took their place.

"Get the hell off me! Let me go!" he yelled, unable to do anything else once they finally managed to get hold his arms behind his back. He wasn't even able to think clearly enough to transform his shimmering tail back into legs and kick at them. All he did was attempt to twist out of his capture's grasp and glare up at the hawk teen as he stared down in wonder.

"Everybody, back to the attack! I'll deal with him," Kazana ordered.

The others scattering at his words. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Myrrha couldn't help but notice how confident of a leader Kazana was. He could easily imagine the teen rallying others for further attacks just like this one.

Soon, the only ones left with Myrrha were the hawk teen and the anima holding him back. Kazana just shook his head and laughed, although it sounded more nervous and surprised than amused. Myrrha snarled at him again though, not picking up on the tone. All he saw was someone laughing at a captured child while the rest of his family was being attacked.

"A +anima prince…" the young revolutionary mumbled in disbelief. "Hah! A +anima prince! I never would have… They were keeping you a secret, weren't they?" he asked.

Myrrha's response was to simply glare harder. "Let me go!" he yelled again, not answering Kazana's question in the least.

The silver-haired prince knew that the war leader wasn't about to release him, but he wasn't going to agree with anything the teen said. Myrrha was not about to let a murderer think he was right about anything, even if he was.

"I see, you became an anima, so they hid you away, right? Didn't want a disgrace like you to be known about? What a shame," the hawk anima continued, and Myrrha didn't say anything. He didn't care what he said. With a sigh, the plus anima sighed under his breath. "Yeah, this will definitely work for us," he mumbled, talking to himself now more than to the boy in front of him.

Something inside Myrrha's brain clicked, and he transformed out of his +anima form. He knew it wouldn't work, but kicked out at the man holding him. To his surprise, he was actually dropped to the ground, and took the small chance to run away. He didn't get far before Kazana managed to grab his around the waist with one hand, pinning his arms down with his other.

"Yeah, you're not getting away that easily," Kazana said. Despite this, Myrrha kept attempting to struggle out of the teen's grasp. It obviously wasn't working though.

Without any warning, Myrrha felt the teen lift them both off the ground, carrying him back into the harem.

The silver boy closed his eyes instantly, not having expected to be so high up so quickly. He didn't want to accept what was happening. He had been captured by the revolution. They would probably use him as a hostage to get the king out of hiding, or make an example of him. Even if royals turned into +anima, that didn't mean they would be safe.

Reluctantly, Myrrha managed to open his eyes slightly and look down. Smoke was starting to sting at them, but that didn't shield him from seeing the disturbing view below. A fire had broken out in the garden, and it seemed like somewhere else in the palace as well. Winged +anima shot through the air, and other people with strange animas ran all over the surrounding grounds. He ignored the small silhouettes lying on the ground, trying not to think about who they might be. He was just barely able to hear the sound of cheering from their height, and it was hard for the boy to keep from throwing up.

A sinking feeling dropped in his stomach, and he felt his eyes sting from more than just the smoke.

This was it. The revolution was over.

* * *

><p>Hurray, and here's the first chapter for all of you. Oh, and just incase anyone was interested, I put up a few drawling of the 'fighting' +anima forms on my deviant art account (a link is in my profile). I have everyone but Senri because well… he's hard.<p>

Anyway, I hope you like the story so far, please review and let me know what you think.


	2. Idealistic Plans

Hello everybody. If you've been on my account, you saw that my computer died. No, it's not fixed, but I kind of caved and ended up writing this chapter on my sister's laptop. You won't believe how much more of this story's been planned out since the uploading of the last chapter. For now though, I will keep quiet to avoid ruining and plots.

As always, have to thank Kay Hau for doing an amazing job as my beta reader.

Chapter 2- Idealistic Plans

The silver haired prince wasn't sure how long Kazana had him up in the air, but it felt like an eternity before he was finally returned to the ground. The second they landed he started to struggle in the teen's grasp again, but it didn't really do much. Myrrha felt locked in place, barely able to shift his arms**. **Even with all his training and his skills in fighting, this war hardened leader had practically no problem keeping him in place.

Prince Myrrha wasn't sure where they were now. They had landed somewhere outside of the capital, but that was all he could tell. He tried to hide the fear that started to grip at his insides as that thought sunk in.

Outside of the capital. Outside of Stella.

He'd never even been out of the palace, let alone the city. Shaking his head, he tried to rid himself of the fear and just focus on what he needed to do now. If there was anything he _could_ do, that is. Thankfully, he was pretty sure that the physical attempt to rid himself of the thoughts was just taken as more of his attempts to get out of his captor's arms.

"Kazana? I didn't expect the siege to be over quite yet," Myrrha felt himself get swung around as the hawk teen turned to face the person who had addressed him**.** The silver boy glared up at the tall man standing a few feet away. To his surprise, there was no obvious anima on him. Every other revolutionary he'd seen had been fully transformed, but this man was an exception.

Looking the man over, Myrrha decided he didn't like him. His hair was pitch black, with his bangs swept out of the way of his sharp eyes. Everything about him was sharp actually. His nose, his face and, with a shuddering realization, his teeth.

Okay, maybe he did have his anima out, even if it wasn't as clear as some of the others.

"Raza," Kazana started, and Myrrha had to assume that was the sharp man's name. "It's not over yet, but I had to get him out of there," the teen said, gesturing with his head towards the boy in his arms, "I'll go back to supervise the completion once we figure out what to do with him," he finished. At this, Raza took notice of the prince for the first time, but he didn't seem extremely interested. It was clear as he spoke next that the happenings at the palace were still his main priority.

"A child? If he's one of our troops, you know we had basis set up for the injured much closer than here," he said, disinterested.

"Actually, he's not. He's one of the princes," Kazana explained, clearly catching the other man's attention. For the first time, he really looked over the boy. He was still struggling in the teen's grasp, but despite the thrashing and the way he was soaked, it was clear when one looked just how elegant and expensive his clothing actually were.

"Well, well, well, Kazana, I never imagined you of all people to be the one to gain a soft heart. I thought we had a plan about what to do with _all _of the royals, and that included the children." Raza said, a dark undertone breaking through the almost joking way he spoke.

"He's not just a prince though, he's a _+anima!_" Kazana argued, emphasizing the last word.

"A +anima prince? That is interesting…" he mumbled. The silver haired boy glared daggers at the man, but he didn't seem very fazed. Kazana started nodding his head eagerly.

Myrrha didn't like how excited Kazana was about all of this. Sure the young revolutionary hadordered that Myrrha not be hurt, but that didn't mean he didn't have any plans to go back on that order in the future, or that this new person would want to keep him safe. Either way, it was kind of obvious that he had some sort of idea in mind for him, and Myrrha didn't want anything to do with what these people had planned.

"Isn't it? I mean, it's pretty clear that they've messed with his head, but just imagine the possibilities if we can fix him!"

The silver prince was so angered by Kazana's comment that he almost didn't notice the way that Raza's eyes lit up slightly. He nodded his head in agreement, but he was focused solely on the silver child now. It was clear that what Kazana has said has started turning something in his head. Myrrha didn't bother to pay him any attention though, instead twisting around the best he could to try and look at the one holding him. It wasn't very much, but he started yelling anyway.

"What? They did not mess with my head! You're the crazy ones going around killing everybody!" cried out Myrrha, struggling. But his reaction only seemed to reinforce whatever idea Kazana had gotten about his mental state.

The black haired teen just sighed and turned towards the other man, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "See what I mean?" he asked.

Raza nodded, although he stayed silent. It was clear he was thinking, trying to work out whatever possibilities were running through his head. Kazana didn't seem to notice whatever beginnings of a plan he has set in motion.

Myrrha tried to ignore the way Raza kept his eyes glued on him. He was used to people staring at him. Before he'd become a +anima, it had just been because of his looks. Afterwards, it had been easy to notice the slight fear and disgust most of the others in the palace held for him. Even with all that practice, it was harder than usual, knowing that whatever this man thought of might greatly impact how much longer he had to live. He'd heard of Kazana, so if one of the famous war leaders was speaking to him as a superior, he had no doubt that whatever he said was probably going to go through.

He was starting to get tired from all his escape attempts as well, but only allowed his struggling to subside slightly. If he was getting tired, then Kazana had to be as well. Even if his grip hadn't seemed to weaken in the slightest since they'd first taken off from the palace.

"Well, we'll have to keep the little prince nice and safe until we can figure out just what those filthy nobles had done to him, won't we?" The black haired man said smoothly.

Myrrha could practically feel the smile that broke out on his captor's face, even if he couldn't see it. He officially had absolutely no idea what to think of Kazana, the teen confused him beyond belief. One minute he was ordering the murder of his entire family and kidnapping him, but he'd done it so he could live, and then smiled like a little kid when that plan was allowed. Looking back over at Raza however, he felt a distinct shudder run down his back.

The young prince had seen that look in Raza'seyes before. It was the same look that some of the nobles got at times; the ones who he knew couldn't be trusted. Before he lost his standing as crown prince, his father had talked about them. They were the planners, and the ones who knew how to scheme and twist their way out of any sticky situation with nothing but a few words and a charming smile. Whatever it was this man had planned for him, it couldn't be good.

"Right. He'll probably try to run away from any place we put him in though…" Kazana said, trailing off as he tried to think of an appropriate place to house the boy who kept kicking around in his arms.

"I think we'll be able to handle him. Just what kind of anima is he?" the man asked, taking a few steps closer to the two.

"Some sort of fish. Heh, I guess you two have a lot in common then, don't you?" the black haired teen asked, sounding a bit amused.

Raza just nodded and chuckled slightly, leaning down to get a better look at Myrrha's face. Once he was close enough the silver boy lunged forward and tried to bite his pointed nose. His teeth weren't in their razor pointed anima form, but he figured it would still hurt like anything, and maybe get the teen to drop him if they started freaking out or something. Raza managed to jerk out of the way in time though, the small smirk never leaving his face.

"Careful now; wouldn't want to hurt anybody," the man said, but Myrrha just snarled at him.

These people were absolutely insane! Don't want anybody to get hurt, yeah right! Who knows how many of his family were dead or dying right now because of the orders these monsters put out. From what Kazana had said, he guessed that this Raza was a kind of fish +anima as well, but Myrrha would jump out of a window before he admitted to having anything else in common with him.

It wasn't very long before they were on the move again, and eventually someone took him from the hawk teen's grip. He tried to run off during the exchange, but unfortunately it was pretty futile, having been hefted over the large anima's shoulder with practically no effort on his captor's part.

Kazana left after that, saying that he needed to get back to watching over and finishing the siege on the palace. Raza smiled and said goodbye, before turning his attention back to the boy and ordering the +anima that now held him in his grasp to follow him.

They ended up in the basement of some sort of run down building. Or at least, he'd thought it was a basement at first, but then he felt himself getting shoved forcefully into a small cell. The sound of metal clanking behind him let the child know that he was locked inside before he managed to get back to his feet and turn around. It might have been just a basement at one time, but the revolution had seemed to transform it into a jail cell.

The +anima that had brought him here was leaving, but Raza didn't start speaking until the man had shut the door behind him. Myrrha almost couldn't see him in the darkness. The only light came in from a tiny window high up in the cell, partially covered by some stubborn weeds seeping in and bars lining it. There wouldn't be any way to get out through there.

He could see the glint of Raza's teeth though, but managed to keep himself from shrinking back. He couldn't let himself think about what these people had done, or else he probably would end up breaking. He wouldn't let them win that easily, that was for sure.

"That Kazana. He's a good leader, great at rallying the troops. Just a bit too idealistic, wouldn't you agree?" Raza asked him.

Myrrha didn't answer, setting his face into a fierce glare instead.

The black haired man just sighed at his lack of a response, but it felt fake. He wasn't really upset that the prince hadn't spoken. No, he knew exactly what was going on, and was just trying to play him.

"You know, we won't get anywhere if you don't speak."

"Go to hell," the silver prince spat.

He was not going to go along with this man's game, and his outburst actually did seem to get to the suave anima slightly. Myrrha was just able to see his eyes narrow into a glare, and his whole demeanor changed. They were very small changes. He would have had a hard time noticing them even if the room was well lit, but they were definitely there.

"I think it would be best for the both of us if you tried to hold your tongue," Raza said sharply. Myrrha actually smirked though, having expected him to say something along those lines. Even if they were on opposite sides of the war, people were people, and he knew how power hungry people like him worked.

"I thought you wanted me to speak?" he asked**,** watching with satisfaction as the irritation seeped almost invisibly through the older man. He'd spent years fighting with the other princes and stealthily insulting the queens. He knew how to get under someone's skin. After all, once he became a +anima, he wasn't allowed to fight back with his fists. The only way he could even try to defend himself whenever he'd been allowed to be around the other princes was with his tongue.

Yes, he knew how to annoy the living daylights out of someone. But he had not expected his small taunts to cause the man to reach into the cell and pull him towards the bars by the collar of his shirt. He tried to struggle out of his grasp by more instinct than actual pain, but Raza didn't give any chance for him to escape.

He glared down at the child, still smirking, and Myrrha felt his stomach sink. This man… he was much more dangerous than the silver prince had originally given him credit for.

"Heh, what happened to all the strong words, my _prince?_" Raza asked, chuckling to himself.

Myrrha tried to set his face back into an angry glare, but could tell it wasn't as convincing as he'd been before being grabbed. Slowly the grip on his shirt lessened, and Myrrha managed to pull himself away from the cold bars. When he looked back up at the sharp toothed man, he could see his deep blue eyes flash. The silver boy tried to keep himself from gulping; those eyes clearly alight with the interworking for a plan. A plan that obviously had him at the center.

"Yes, he's an idealistic one that Kazana, but maybe a dose of idealism is what this country needs," Raza said, surprising the child inside the cell.

Myrrha hadn't expected him to return to their earlier topic, but didn't say anything as he waited for him to continue.

"A +anima prince… and such a beautiful child too. Why yes, I do believe that some idealism is just what this war torn country is in need of," he finished.

Myrrha felt his body tense up as he tried to figure out what in the world this man meant. Nothing would click in his head though, and he started to scowl up at the other +anima again.

"What are you planning to do to me?" he asked bravely**.** He'd already made sure to back up out of reach before daring to speak again, however. And the smirk that crossed the black haired man's face proved he'd noticed it.

Myrrha mentally cursed himself at not being able to hold the shudder in as the row of sharp teeth flash in the darkness yet again. What kind of fish even had teeth like that? For some reason, he really didn't want to find out.

**"**Patience, my boy. Nothing is set in stone yet, after all. With a little hope though, maybe we'll be able to make you into something after all," he said, the slick tone of his voice almost making it seem like he was promising a good thing to Myrrha.

It made Myrrha feel sick that Raza could think that he would _ever_ let himself be made into 'something' by them. Thankfully, that sick feeling allowed him to fuel his anger, letting him snarl in the darkness as the black haired man smiled down at him.

Without any warning Raza spun around on his heels, startling Myrrha. "I'll leave you be for now, my +anima prince," he said, sounding quite pleased with himself and whatever plan that was boiling around in his brain. Before the silver boy could figure out what to say, or if he even should say anything at all, the door closed with a soft click behind the tall figure, and he was left alone in the dark.

Myrrha felt his legs give out under him from the shock of it all, quickly finding himself sitting in a heap on the cold stone floor. His mind was muddled and wouldn't let him figure out what that Raza had been trying to hint at. He obviously had some sort of plan in mind, but Myrrha couldn't focus enough to try and decode what it was.

It wasn't long before he felt himself shivering as the stone chilled his bones. Living his entire life in the palace, he wasn't used to the cold that could exist underground. Closing his eyes, he just tried to ignore it. He had more important things to be worrying about.

He found that he couldn't think about those things without tears threatening to break their way past his eyes however. What had happened at the palace after he'd been carried away? He had no idea, but from what Raza had said when he'd found out he was a prince, it was clear that they weren't planning on letting _anyone_ survive.

His stomach twisted in unease as unwanted images sprung up in his head of some of the princes and princesses. There were a lot much younger than even he was. Queen Karima had just given birth a few weeks ago. Was killing babies a part of their plan as well?

His mother had been captured by one of those +anima when he'd ran away. The chances of her having gotten away and escaping… Even the most optimistic person in the world knew that they were slim to none.

He kept going back over what had happened. Every move he made, trying to see if there was something, anything that could have changed his situation. What if he hadn't run away when his mother had told him to? Would he have been able to save her? He kept telling himself that he wouldn't have, but the doubt was still there.

The tears finally did spill, andhe tried his best to ignore them. He hadn't cried since he had became a +anima, he didn't want to acknowledge that they were really there. He wasn't sure how much time passed before he finally managed to dry his eyes. Any light coming from the window was long gone, so at the very least he could tell that it was night now.

Myrrha's head perked up at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs outside of the door. The despair that had wracked his body a few moments ago was quickly replaced with anger.

He didn't care what these monsters did to him anymore. They could kill him for all it was worth, but he wasn't going to let them win. Whatever plan that sharp toothed man had thought of wasn't going to happen.

The door swung open, letting some light from the ground floors stream into the room.

Myrrha snarled at the person in the doorway. He didn't care if it made him look like some animal trapped in a cage. Animals were what he was dealing with, after all

He couldn't see the person who walked into the room, but he could tell it wasn't Raza. The silhouette didn't tell him much however, most of it obscured by two large forms jutting out of the figure's back, further shading any details. He was able to tell that they might have been wings however. Even though he'd only ever seen bird +anima up close today, he couldn't think of anything else that they could have possibly been.

The mystery person reached their hand inside of the cell, and without hesitation the silver prince bit down as hard as he could.

This time, his teeth were the razor sharp blades of his anima, and he didn't miss.

* * *

><p>Yay, chapter two is completed. If you couldn't already tell, this story is not going to be kind to Husky. I don't really have anything else to say, so thanks for reading and please review.<p> 


	3. Unanswered Questions

Hello everybody. This story keeps wanting to be written, so here's the next chapter. I'm starting to get really excited about how things are going so far. Well, I was always excited about this story, but it's really cool seeing it starting to come to life like this. Anyway, I'll stop talking now and just let you all get on with the chapter.

Chapter 3 – Unanswered Questions

Myrrha's eyes widened in shock. Where he expected to feel his teeth sink into someone's skin, something tough clashed against them instead.

With a flick of the person's wrist, something sharp sliced the inside of his mouth**,** causing the boy to yelp in pain and release the hand instantly. He finally tasted the blood he'd been expecting, only he hadn't expected the blood to be his own.

The silver prince tried to glare up at where he could just make out the shape of the figure's head, but quickly became distracted with the blood that leaked into his mouth. Spitting it out, he couldn't help but grimace at the pain that shot through the cut when he moved his mouth. Running his tongue along it, he could tell that it hadn't actually been too deep, although it was still bleeding slightly.

A small lamp was suddenly alit, casting a glare in Myrrha's eyes. Once they adjusted to the sudden brightness, he was able to examine the person that had come down to check on him.

The first thing he noticed was the wings. They were huge, even larger than Kazana's. The feathers were a mixture of brown, black and grey and almost completely framed the figure that was attached. Focusing on that figure now, the boy was surprised to find that it was actually a woman. Cold grey eyes stared straight at where he sat on the stone floor, a hood concealing most of her dark hair. Glancing to the lamp in her right hand, he saw the cause of his current pain.

Where he thought would be normal hands were sharp talons, bony plates covering her hands and up each arm as far as he could see before being concealed under a shrug. Looking down, her legs and feet had the same bony covering, although her feet seemed to have converted almost completely into that of a predatory bird's.

"So, you're what Raza's been going on about," the woman said calmly.

Myrrha kept silent. The silver prince would have been able to speak if he wanted to; the cut wasn't that bad. The thing was, he wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to any of these monsters, the anger and fear they gave him still boiling in his brain.

"What's your name, boy?" she asked, startling Myrrha slightly.

Why would they care about his name? The more people he saw, the less he believed they had anything even close to his safety in mind. They were probably planning to kill him eventually. He didn't understand why they didn't just get it over with now.

There was another reason he stayed silent though.

He didn't want them to know exactly who he really was. He could just imagine the stories they would spin if they found out he was the supposedly dead prince. That Kazana had immediately assumed all these wild things about him being hidden away and brainwashed and who knows what else. If they found out that they'd also faked his death, those stories would multiply.

It felt even worse that some of those stories might actually… be close to the truth.

**"**So you refuse to speak? No matter, we'll find out eventually," she said, and Myrrha almost considered asking what _her _name was, but decided against it. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had to be cautious with these people. Raza had proven that when he'd managed to catch him so completely off guard.

He tried to hold back a shudder at the way he thought he had the sharp toothed man so simply figured out. He still didn't think he was completely wrong. Raza was still a schemer; he was just a much better one that the prince had ever realized.

"I can see what he means though, you do have quite a… _regal_ look to you" she mused.

Myrrha couldn't help but twitch in irritation at the way she spoke _about_ him, rather than _to _him**.** She was sizing him up for something, but he couldn't tell if she actually liked what she saw or not. What he could see of her face under the hood was almost as unreadable as his mother's had been.

"I'm not going along with anything you monsters want," he growled, trying to ignore the pain from the still fresh cut inside his mouth**. **It started to bleed again slightly as he spoke, but he quickly spit it out. He managed to keep the discomfort from showing on his face as he turned to stare up at the tall woman.

A small smile curled up on her face, sending a chill down the prince's spine. There was something very powerful and controlled behind that smile, and he hadn't expected it.

Myrrha wasn't able to keep himself from flinching back, the memory of the last time he'd been caught off guard by one of these people flashing through his head. The winged woman did not reach inside of the cage though, but instead continued talking.

"Stubborn, aren't we?" she said, sounding amused by his attempts at defiance.

Myrrha watched in confusion as the woman leaned down until she was on level with him. He'd yet to get up off of the floor, which he realized was probably just adding to the intimidation she had over him. Now that he could see her face clearly though, there was what appeared to be a kind look there, further confusing him.

"But we'll change that," she finished, her eyes examining him as well as they could in the darkness. Myrrha tried fruitlessly to ignore the distinct chill underlining the warmness she used.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, managing to hide the fear that her threat had sent through him with his usual bravado.

Whatever plan it was that they had in mind was starting to eat away at the child slightly. That sharp toothed man Raza had made in clear that he wanted to do something with him, and had apparently talked it over with this woman.

She stood back up to her full height before answering him.

"I think we'll leave you in the dark about that for a bit longer," she said, using the same fake warmth as before.

Myrrha glared at her, wishing there was something he could actually do. As long as he was locked up in this cell,there weren't many ways that he could actually fight back.

"You should get some sleep. We're leaving in the morning," the winged woman said, starting to turn away from him and towards where he assumed the door to be.

The prince was still angry about the way that she'd completely ignored his question, taunting him instead. That was quickly pushed from his mind as what the wing woman just said clicked in his brain. Leaving…?

"Where are you taking me?" he demanded, not completely able to hide the panic in his voice. He didn't trust these people; that went without saying. He couldn't get past the idea that they were planning to kill him. There wasn't any other option. The revolution had no need to keep one of the princes alive.

So why would they bother to take him anywhere? Was there a special place they wanted to kill him? Maybe they still need him as bait or something before they got rid of him? The king had probably gotten away after all; they might want to see if they could use one of his sons as bait. Of course, he really didn't see why they would try that with a +anima prince. They all seemed to assume that the royals couldn't care less about any +anima, even if it was someone in their family. None of this was really making any sense.

"A surprise. Don't worry; I'm sure you'll like it," she said without turning back.

Myrrha didn't say anything as she opened the door and walked through, shutting it behind her. Even if he tried to continue talking to her, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to get everything he wanted to say out without sounding like an idiot. His mind was still so muddled. Plus, he highly doubted she would have answered any of his questions even if he could get them worded correctly.

With the small click of the door, the silver boy once again found himself both literally and figuratively in the dark.

…

Morning came around and a small amount of light started to spill into the room. Myrrha was still awake. He couldn't have fallen asleep even if he tried, and he definitely hadn't.

He tried to pretend that he hadn't spent over half of the night crying as well, the shock of everything still wracking his body.

Leaning against the back wall now, he stared at the shadows cast by the rising sun and bars on the window. It still wasn't bright enough for him to get a good look at the whole room, but he doubted that there would have been any way for him to escape even if he could. He'd spent at least two hours going over his small cell trying to find some sort of weak spot or object he could use to open the cage like door.

He'd even tried biting the metal bars and attempting to slash at them with his blade fins. Sure, he'd managed to cause quite a bit of dings and scratches in the metal, but it would have taken him days or even weeks to work those into something even remotely close to an escape. Even if he had that long, someone would have either found out, or he would end up completely wearing himself to the bone. Those bars weren't moving.

The sound of the room's door opening brought his attention, and he quickly stood up to see who it was coming to fetch him this time. He wasn't extremely surprised at the sight of the sharp black haired man walking towards him, that ever present smirk on his face.

"How was your night? Did you sleep well, my prince?" Raza asked, in way too good of a mood for Myrrha's liking.

The silver boy didn't say anything. He didn't even move, standing like a rock and glaring at the man on the other side of the bars. Raza had already caused him to flinch and pull back in fear enough; he wasn't going to let him keep doing it. Most of all though, he was not about to respond to being mocked.

He did get why the older man didn't call him anything but 'prince' though. They still hadn't found out his name. Hopefully, he could keep it like that, or even give them a fake one. As long as they didn't find out he had supposedly died a year ago. They already thought he was brainwashed. He didn't want to reinforce Kazana's idea that the royal family had hidden him away like an embarrassment.

That hadn't been it. It was just the only way they could let him stay at the palace. His father had been trying to help him. Even if the other princes and queens had become even harsher on him after his transformation, it didn't change the way his parents acted.

"You really aren't a very talkative boy, are you?" Raza asked.

Myrrha just rolled his eyes, already getting annoyed with the friendly act he was putting on. He resisted the urge he had to mock the man though, not wanting to have to go through something like last night again. Sure, he was standing out of reach now, but that didn't mean Raza couldn't surprise him in some other way.

"Very well. I guess it is time for us to leave," he said, starting towards the lock on the cell door. It was only then that Myrrha noticed the chains he was carrying.

The cell door was opened just enough for Raza to step inside and lung toward the child. The silver prince attempted to run around the man, but Raza quickly reached out and grabbed his arm. Before Myrrha was able to struggle out of his grasp or transform his teeth and try to bite the older man, he felt himself being slammed against the back wall of the cell. The bulky chains were wrapped securely around his hands, keeping them locked behind his back.

Myrrha immediately started trying to struggle out of the linked chains, cursing under his breath. He hadn't expected him to be that fast.

With a sharp shove, the silver boy started forward, climbing the steps out of the basement turned dungeon and into the main building. Raza made sure to keep a tight grip on the chains that wrapped around his wrists, pushing him forward to move him in whatever direction he wished to take. Eventually, they found themselves outside of the building.

Myrrha didn't stop jerking around and trying to pull himself out of the chains the entire time. Every so often he would attempt to just start running away, hoping that maybe the shock would cause Raza to lose his grip. It never did, and Myrrha was just painfully yanked back into place. The other half of the time the silver prince would grind his heels into the floor or dirt and refuse to move forward without being dragged or pushed along.

It wasn't very long before he could feel that the rough metal had started to cut into his wrists and rub them raw. He still didn't stop even when he started to feel blood trickling down and dripping off his fingers. The entire time, Raza seemed to simply watch on in amusement.

The silver boy was jerked back when Raza suddenly stopped in his tracks. Myrrha wasn't able to hold back a yelp of pain as the metal dug into his rubbed raw wrists once again, but the black haired man didn't even glance at him.

"Ah, Fatin, there you are," he said, yanking on Myrrha like it was nothing as he attempted once again to make a sudden run for it. Raza made sure to hold the rope closely now, not giving the bound prince hardly any room to struggle at all.

The silver boy immediately caught sight of the woman that had come down to see him the night before. Now that they were outside, she didn't bother to scrunch up her wings to a more manageable size, and let them span out fully behind her. They were absolutely gigantic.

It was definitely intimidating, whether or not Myrrha would ever actually admit it.

"Yes," the woman started, walking towards them. "And I see you have your little… experiment," she continued, glancing down at Myrrha. Of all the things he wanted to be called, 'experiment' was _not_ very high on that list.

"I'm telling you and the others to think it over. It could work very well," Raza said, a very slight persuasive tone underlying the casual way he spoke.

Myrrha practically bristled as they ignored him. He hated being left out of things, especially when those 'things' involved whatever fate some crazed rebels were trying to plan out for him.

"What could work? What the hell do you people want with me already!" he yelled, the anger temporarily overriding the fear.

"He's stubborn, it might be easier to just kill him," Fatin said, not even glancing at his outburst and sending a shudder down Myrrha's body.

The cold way that she said that left no doubt in Myrrha's mind that they would actually go through with that plan. Even if he'd already come to the conclusion that they were planning to kill him eventually, it made his breath hitch to actually hear them say that. No matter what happened, he was not going to just lie down and die, that was for sure.

"Think it over," was the only reply Raza gave, which did not help to ease Myrrha's mind in the least. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on between the two adults. They were letting him live for now, so whatever crazy idea Raza had was probably going to happen, right? Or maybe not, if this woman wasn't completely sold yet.

"Anyway, hand him over," Fatin said, breaking the silver boy out of his thoughts.

Without any warning Raza pushed him towards the woman, throwing him off balance slightly. Myrrha was sure that if he looked back he would see that amused glint in the sharp man's eyes that he'd had every time he watched the boy struggle and yank the chains. Fatin ignored them both and quickly grabbed the chains the sharp man had been holding. Before he could react she made a sound of annoyance in the back of her throat.

"His hands are covered in blood. What did you do to him?" she asked irritably.

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed," Raza said, a cheerfulness to his voice that made it very clear that he _had_ noticed.

Myrrha tried to ignore the disgust he had for Raza as he attempted to speak once again.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked, hoping that unlike last night he might actually get an answer. Even if it bravado was starting to fail slightly, the anger these people caused him was more than making up for it.

The two adults stole a glance at each other before facing the silver boy. It was the first time that they really showed that they were paying attention to him since he'd been released from the cell. Myrrha couldn't help but be surprised that he actually managed to catch their attention. He'd assumed they would just end up ignoring him like last time. The answer that he got though made him wonder slightly if he would have liked it if they actually did just ignore him again, instead of continuing to speak in riddles.

"Don't worry. You'll recognize it when you see it," the woman holding onto the thick chains said, her voice very controlled. It didn't give Myrrha any real hints.

"I still don't know if this will work," she said, turning towards Raza. The man smiled at her and casually shrugged his shoulders. Myrrha couldn't tell if he was being sincere or just trying to sell his mystery plan again.

"Trust me on this, I think it could be a great thing for this country," he said smoothly. The silver prince almost wished he could see how the woman behind him looked like. He doubted that she would be foolish enough to fall for his charm, but then again, maybe if his plan rid on her agreeing with him, he didn't need for her to. If they were close enough, he might really be trying to convince her earnestly.

This was all just wild speculation on the prince's part though. He didn't know anywhere near enough about these people to try and figure out there inner workings so quickly.

Myrrha waited for the winged woman's response, but it never came. Instead, he felt her plated arm wrap around his waist, and once again his feet were leaving the ground without his permission.

Myrrha kept his eyes closed for most of the flight. Eventually though, he started to get used to the sensation of being in the air again, and slowly opened them. Fatin didn't say anything the entire time, which Myrrha didn't mind in the least. Instead, he kept himself busy by scanning the surroundings, trying to figure out just where they were headed, and maybe even some clues as to why. The woman had said that he would recognize it when he saw it.

The silver prince felt his heart drop when something familiar finally did come into view. Even if he'd never been outside of Stella, he'd seen pictures, and he knew what the palace looked like from a distance**.** The closer they got, the more worried and confused he became. The area also began to be more and more familiar, even if it almost felt like looking at it in a mirror, all reversed; until finally they were landing inside of the destroyed palace gates.

They had brought him back home, and he had no idea why.

* * *

><p>And the chapter's completed. Oh, and if any of you wanted to see, I have pictures of both Fatin and Raza up on my deviantart account, (link in my profile) as well as two other characters that have yet to be introduced. Hopefully we'll be able to get to those other two very soon.<br>Well, as always thanks for reading and please review and tell me what you think.


	4. Homecoming

Hello everybody. Yay, we have another new chapter. This one was fun to write, although probably not the most fun for Husky to go through. Oh, and like I said on the last chapter, there are drawling of Fatin and Raza, as well as a character introduced (and another mentioned) in this chapter. If you want to check them out, you can.  
>Anyway, here's the next chapter.<p>

Chapter 4 – Homecoming

Prince Myrrha struggled to pull himself out of the winged woman's grasp as soon as they hit the ground. The silver boy was caught off guard when Fatin dropped him carelessly with little to no warning, but he managed to stay on his feet all the same. The large chain still wrapped around his wrists pulled at the sore skin roughly, and he was barely able to hold back a hiss of pain. Once that passed however, he was able to look around slightly.

There didn't seem to be anybody around them at the moment. Myrrha recognized where they were as the main walkway of the sun tower. He'd only been here a few select times in his life, since it was so close to actually exiting the palace. Before he was able to take in anything else, Fatin was pushing him along.

Soon the two were walking through another broken down doorway. Myrrha couldn't help but wonder just how strong the +anima that attacked had to have been in order to get the stone slab thrown off to the side like it was.

Any thoughts he was having were instantly stalled when they walked through the doors. The silver prince felt his breath hitch at the ransacked state of the hallway. Any sort of decorations or assortments that had lined the walls were in pieces and trampled on the floor, and there were deep red stains all over the place.

Myrrha stumbled forward slightly as Fatin pushed him onward without saying a word. The prince felt his stomach drop as they went farther and farther inside. He couldn't hold back a shudder as they walked along the red stained floor. There were still some spots that looked like they were wet, and Myrrha's mind kept wondering who it was that had made those stains.

As they went, the scenery didn't change much at all. A complete destruction of everything he could remember tinted in red, and they weren't even where most of the palace residents would have been trapped during the attack.

Maybe they wouldn't take him there. The three floors that belong to the queens and royal children were just three of so many, and they weren't even in that tower. Besides, he highly doubted that they'd brought him back here so that he could gather up his belongings.

The farther they walked the more he started to see other +anima wandering the palace. It was so strange seeing them walking around like they had every right to be there. That was exactly how they were acting too. All smiles and just a peppiness in them that should not be found in someone who was cleaning up a slaughtering.

As they went, some of them would steal glances at him, clearly confused and curious about the child being led around in chains. The silver prince would just glare at them, and most would continue on their way. They were all much too thrilled about their victory to be bothered by one prisoner.

It was because of this that Myrrha initially didn't pay much attention to an older teen that was walking towards them. Well, he might have been in his early twenties or so, the prince couldn't tell. That was probably due to the fact that instead of normal skin he seemed to be completely covered in scales, a large tail swinging out behind him. Myrrha started to glare at him as he came closer, but it didn't seem to deter the reptilian teen any. It was only when Fatin pulled him to a stop in order to talk to the other +anima had Myrrha really bothered to take any notice of him though.

"Were you able to find out anything, Taj?" the winged woman asked.

Myrrha looked the young adult over closer now. Both his hands were tipped with sharp claws, and his feet were completely transformed like Fatin's. Instead of bird talons though, scaled lizard feet were what he had. Taj smiled, and Myrrha was just able to catch a glimpse of a long forked tongue as it flashed out before he started to speak.

"Always getting right down to business, aren't you? This is the one Raza told us about, right?" Taj asked, leaning over to get a better look at the boy.

Myrrha snarled at him, trying to ignore the slight panic that this was apparently another one of Raza's 'friends.' Just how many of these people were there? Well, the entire revolution was probably littered with them, so he guessed a better question would be just how of them did Raza trust enough to let in on his plan?

"Yes. Did you find a match?**"** she returned, ignoring the first remark.

The silver prince spun his head around to face Fatin, the panic he'd just had doubling at her question. Before he was able to ask what in the world she was talking about by 'match' the lizard man started speaking again.

"Silver hair? Blue eyes? Pale and breathtakingly beautiful? Yeah, I found a match," he said confidently.

Myrrha's glare intensified at the young revolutionary's comment. Even with that, he managed to keep his head clear enough to stay focused on the reptilian man. The confidence he had did not help to stop the sinking feeling of any hope he had of hiding his identity disappearing completely.

The lizard man turned back towards him, an almost playful smile on his lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Crown Prince Myrrha," Taj said, giving an over dramatic bow.

The silver boy's body went rigid at the sound of his name. Of course, he should have known that they would have been able to figure out who he was with no problem. His mother was one of the most unique looking out of all the queens, and he had been first in line for the crown at one time. His death had been announced to the country, but even if someone had never seen him, it wouldn't be hard to figure out which queen was his mother.

"The dead prince?" Fatin asked, a hint of surprise in her voice for the first time since Myrrha had met her. Taj nodded, crouching down so that he was on level with the silver boy. Myrrha was really starting to get annoyed with people doing that, but he couldn't attempt to lunge forward and bite Taj with how tightly Fatin was holding the chain length around his wrists. Instead of holding the chains that hung off his wrists like a leash as Raza had, she had one plated hand directly on the chains around his wrists, not allowing the boy hardly any room to move at all.

"The very one," he said, not taking his eyes off of the prince as he spoke. Myrrha was seriously tired of people sizing him up, taking to snarling at the teen. Taj didn't seem to really take much notice as he stood back up to his full height however.

"I know Raza has a new master plan every other week, but I think he's onto something this time," the reptilian +anima said, turning his attention away from Myrrha and back to Fatin. The silver prince felt like screaming at the fact that they were once again leaving him out of whatever 'grand master plan' the stupid sharp man had dreamt up.

"I'm just telling you all to remember the risk involved in something like this. There's a huge variable that isn't going to want to conform quite that easily," Fatin said, and Taj simply nodded.

"I take it you're talking about me?" Myrrha asked, hoping that maybe if he didn't just straight up demand to know what's going on, he might be able to get some information out of them a bit more subtly. Besides, it was clear as day that the 'variable' the winged woman had mentioned was him. He couldn't tell if he was happy or annoyed that someone had noticed that he wasn't just going to go along with whatever they had planned for him.

"You got that right, princey," Taj said casually.

Myrrha growled at the nickname. At least the other two kind of treated him with a bit of dignity, even if it was false. Or at least someone who was smart enough that they needed to treat the situation with a bit of caution. This guy was basically laughing at him and not taking him seriously at all. It was starting to tick the silver prince off very quickly.

"Yes, anyway," Fatin started, knocking the prince out of his internal angry rant, "we need to wait a bit longer to see how the country is going to react," Raza nodded in agreement. Myrrha frowned at the way that the winged woman could just continue to completely ignore his existence whenever it suited her.

"Makes sense. Ilham's still out with Kazana and the Angel getting a headcount on our troops, so he should have a better idea on the people's mood once he comes back," the lizard teen said. That caught Myrrha's attention. Not Kazana, he already knew about him, but the mentions of the other two. Ilham he'd heard of as well. One of the more famous leaders of the revolution, he'd helped front a lot of the battles. The way that Raza had spoke about him though, Myrrha had a pretty good idea that he was also a part of whatever group Raza had decided to consult with for his plan.

He could only assume that the 'Angel' was the legendary Angel of Death he'd heard so much about. As far as the silver prince knew, it was some winged +anima who'd become the figurehead of the revolution. Looking around the crimson hallway that used to be grey, he couldn't see a more appropriate symbol for their actions.

Fatin started talking again, breaking Myrrha out of his musing. "We'll wait to do anything until he comes back then," she said simply. None of this was helping the silver boy figure out any more of their plan than he'd known before.

"Alright, I'll go back to help with the cleanup, you take care of our little prince," Taj said, already starting down the hallway. Fatin nodded once again before pushing Myrrha forward again, making sure to keep one hand on his wrists. He wasn't sure if he hated this more or less than the 'leash' that Raza had decided to keep him on instead. He couldn't struggle at all this way.

"Where are we going?" Myrrha decided to ask after they had headed down a few more levels. He never went into the sun tower much at all, but he assumed that maybe there were some cells or something in the lowest levels that they wanted to keep him in or something. It was the main part of the palace, the part where all of the political meetings were held and where the king spent most of his time. He wasn't sure if they would have a dungeon in this part of the palace because of that, but one again it was the only reason he could make up for his captor's actions.

Fatin didn't answer, and the silver boy decided to try his luck with some other questions instead.

"So, this plan of yours, just what are you trying to do? If you want to draw out the king, it's not going to work. He's not going to endanger himself for a +anima like me," the silver prince said. It wasn't that he actually believed that, of course. It didn't matter to his father that he was a +anima; he wouldn't have come out for any hostage. It was a horrible move if they ever wanted to recapture the throne or possibly plan a counter revolution.

The winged woman had stopped walking at the question though, and Myrrha wished that he could turn around and see what she looked like, but the way she held the chains was locking him in place. He could turn his head of course, but his arms pulled back around him made it impossible to actually see her face. It probably wouldn't have done much though, if she was able to keep up the expressionless mask Myrrha had seen beforehand.

The silver boy shuddered and a feeling of dread rushed over him when the sound of Fatin chuckling slightly reached his ears.

"You're absolutely right; it wouldn't work," the black haired woman said, confusing Myrrha slightly. So they had never considered using him for something like that. Before he was able to try to think of some sort of alternative plan that could be the reason why they'd captured him, Fatin continued.

"You can't draw out a dead man."

Myrrha felt his breath hitch as he stumbled to a halt, only managing to stay on his feet because of Fatin's grip on the chain.

"What did you say?" he asked after a moment.

She was probably just trying to mess with his head. Break his spirit or something like that. Getting the king to safety would have been the number one priority of the palace guards once the attack began. He would have gotten out long before anyone else. There was no way that he would have been killed that easily.

When Fatin answered him, she sounded rather amused. Myrrha couldn't help but be reminded of the way Raza had been watching him like some sort of plaything as he desperately tried to escape his bindings. Maybe the two were more alike than he had originally thought –only it was the emotional rather than physical pain that Fatin took enjoyment in.

"You really believed that the revolution would have let the king of all people slip through our grasp?" she asked.

The silver prince was suddenly aware that they were now completely alone. It was dark too. They were probably on one of the lowest floors of the palace by now.

"I don't believe that you would have been able to plan a surprise attack successful enough to not allow the king ample time to escape," Myrrha managed to gather himself enough to say.

Sure, he hadn't noticed the attack until maybe ten minutes before they had fully descended on the palace, but even that had to have been enough. There were secret passageways throughout the place, after all. The king would have escaped through one of them. A lot of people probably did. There was no way that they'd managed a complete massacre.

"That's where you're wrong," she said. Despite the fear that was starting to grip at the silver boy's heart, he noticed that this was probably the most he'd managed to get her to talk since she'd first seen him the other night.

"How do I know you're not just lying to make me cooperate?" Myrrha asked. He really didn't see any way that she could convince him otherwise, but apparently Fatin did.

"I'll just have to take you to see his body personally, won't I? Or at least, what's left of it," she said, her voice smoothly washing over the barren hallway.

Myrrha wasn't able to hide the way her words caused him to flinch. She was lying, trying to make it sound as gruesome as possible so that he would beg to not see it. They had no body.

"Why don't we go now then? Unless you have some other plans for me," he suggested, covering up his fear with sarcasm.

Fatin was chuckling once again, so far one of the only ways Myrrha was able to decipher any emotions she might be feeling. It didn't do anything to quell his fears, however. She sounded far too confident for his liking.

"Alright then. I don't see the harm," Fatin said, tugging on the metal chain and starting back down the hallway the way they came.

Myrrha was shocked to silence for a moment, not quite comprehending what was going on. She was actually going to take him… to see his father's body?

"Wait, what?" he asked, suddenly jutting to a halt when it sank in. He hadn't expected her to actually agree. When Fatin answered, her voice was as smooth as honey.

"I thought you wanted to see your father. Has our prince changed his mind?" she asked.

Myrrha gulped slightly before shaking his head. She was trying to intimidate him, and he wasn't going to let her. He just had to keep telling himself that there wasn't really any body, and that he was just being led to nowhere.

"Then let's keep going," she said, and the two started onward down the hallway once again. Going back up all those flights of stairs combined with the heavy metal links was really starting to wear the child out, plus the fact that he hadn't actually slept the night before. He managed to keep any sounds of protest to himself. He was not going to let these monsters think he was weak.

Soon, they were back in the parts of the palace that still had +animas wandering the premises. Myrrha was able to figure out where they were heading after a few moments, and his prediction was proven correct when they walked out onto one of the many balconies that jutted out of the palace walls. It was close to the main one that the king used to make announcements to the citizens, who could gather below to actually hear and see him. Looking around the surrounding grounds, the child frowned.

"I don't see any body," he said, a hint of confidence back in his voice. He knew that this had to have been some sort of trick. He wasn't quite able to celebrate when he caught site of Fatin's plated finger pointing towards the east.

"Well, it's not exactly a body, but I think that this should be enough evidence for even you," she said, her voice completely controlled. The silver prince was not able to say the same for himself as he turned to face whatever it was she'd been pointing at.

His eyes landed on the main balcony, but that wasn't what took his breath away. No, instead it was what was presented, hovering above the country like some sort of sick and twisted trophy that made his entire body go rigid.

It was exactly what Fatin had said. What was left of his father, the former king of Sailand, struck on a pike for the world to see. Myrrha felt himself go lightheaded as he tried to focus on the balcony. It was far enough away that he wasn't able to see any details too clearly, thankfully, but the light blonde hair slightly ruffled by the wind was definitely his father's.

His body started to go numb the longer he stared, blankly unable to process what he was seeing. Despite how determined Myrrha was to prove himself strong, that no matter what these monsters did they wouldn't be able to get to him, it only took a few seconds before the child's mind shut off, and he crumpled to the floor.

* * *

><p>And now I feel bad for the little guy. I don't really have anything else to say about this chapter though, other then thanks for reading and please review.<p> 


	5. Interlude 1: On the Warfront

Hello everyone. As you can see, this chapter is a bit different than the usual ones so far. We take a break from our regularly scheduled program to bring you a special interlude chapter. The plans for this story involve several different plotlines that will eventually converge into one, so you can take this as a first look into another one of these.

Very excited about this chapter though, and we finally get a chance to meet the famed Angel of Death.

Interlude 1- On the Warfront

"This is _not _what we agreed on!" a boy who couldn't have been any older than twelve yelled. His pitch black wings were keeping him hovering a few feet above the ground, and a long sickle was clenched tightly in one of his talon like hands. His face seemed to be a mixture of furious and devastated, unshed tears glistening over brown eyes.

"You know as well as I do how difficult it can be to control the troops once a battle begins," the person he was talking to said. He was much older than the boy, somewhere in his thirties, and much larger. His arms and legs had armored plates on them, and both his hands and feet were clawed. An orange and black striped tail swung out irritably behind him.

"Everyone though, Ilham? There wasn't any need to kill all those children…" the boy said, the anger he had before quickly disappearing from his form, turning into a sort of helpless sadness. The tiger like man apparently named Ilham sighed, already appearing fed up with the child.

"One of those 'children' could have very easily grown up, rallied support, and tried to undo all of the good we've managed to do for this country. Tell me, Angel of Death, do you really want to have to go through another civil war?" he asked, and the black haired boy shook his head hesitantly.

"No, of course not! I guess you're right, but that doesn't take away the shock of seeing all those bodies. I didn't realize the royal family was so big," the boy known as the Angel of Death said. Ilham just nodded again, seeming glad that he'd gotten the child to settle down slightly.

"You've seen bodies before and it's never bothered you this much. This is a war, Angel," Ilham responded gruffly. His comment only seemed to bring back some of the anger that had been inside of the winged boy before.

"Yes, but not children! We started this war in order to help kids, not slaughter them!" he yelled, the grip on his scythe tightening.

"Cooro," a hand placed firmly on his shoulder caused the boy's muscles to slacken slightly, and him to sigh. Landing on the ground, he glanced back at the third occupant of the room, who had been silent in the background up until this moment.

The teen was tall, long grey hair decorated with several light blue beads strung throughout it. Black fabric was wrapped around his face as an eye patch, and the arm he hadn't used to grab the child was covered in brown fur, huge claws where his fingers should have been.

"It's okay, Senri. I'm fine. Really," the black haired boy said softly, offering Senri a shaky smile. The teen didn't seem convinced at all, though. Cooro never raised his voice in anger, after all. Rather reluctantly, he nodded. Ilham watched the exchange with a nearly bored expression before nodding, a small smirk starting to form on his battle worn face.

"Yes, there's no need to be upset. After all, it wasn't a complete massacre," the tiger like man said, the smug tone to his voice lost to the boy over the surprise at his words.

"Wait, it wasn't? But the report I got said that there weren't any survivors," Cooro said, the confusion clear in his voice. There was also a slight hope there, although why he wasn't entirely sure. Ilham had a point after all, any survivors would be a great threat to the peace and equality that they were fighting so hard for, and would probably end up having to live the rest of their life in a prison cell. It was just in his nature to hope that each battle brought the absolute least number of casualties on both sides, and any report of life was a relief to his gentler nature.

"I take it you didn't get that report from Kazana, did you?" Ilham asked, and Cooro shook his head. "Well, he found and saved one of the princes. He's currently resting back at the palace, now that it's safe," he explained. The other two occupants of the room looked even more confused at the information, it not matching up with everything else that had happened during the siege.

"That's great, but why just this one prince? If he wanted to save them, he could have given out orders for some of the soldiers to stop killing and help him get more to safety. Some would have listened to him," Cooro asked. Ilham was smiling slightly, something rare for the war hardened adult.

"Because, this prince is a +anima," he said, causing Cooro's eyes to widen in shock. Senri also seemed very surprised, neither of them having ever heard about any of the royals being +anima. It was the last thing anyone would have expected from the very people who were enslaving their kind. After the initial shock wore off however, a large smile shown on the black haired boy's face.

"A +anima! Really? That's great that he survived! It would have been horrible if he ended up being killed by mistake during the battle," Cooro said, the relief in his voice clear. Ilham nodded, although he didn't seem anywhere near as excited as the child was.

"Yes, as you can imagine, the old royals hadn't been very hospitable on the boy, although he hasn't told us the extent of the abuse they must have put him through. He's intelligent though, and supports our cause completely," the tiger +anima told the two.

Cooro nodded, although his smile had lessened when hearing about what the prince had to have gone through. Maybe it was better that they had gotten rid of the entire royal family, if they could do something like that to one of their own without a second thought just because he was a +anima.

"Well, I'm glad he's safe now. I guess that's one more good thing to come out of this, besides finally winning this war," the black winged boy said. Ilham nodded before turning around towards the door.

"It's not completely over yet, but you're right, it's already won. Now, if that's all settled then we'd all best be getting back to the troops, Kazana can only handle so much, after all," he said, but before he managed to make it to the door Cooro stopped him.

"Wait a second. I want it taken down," the black haired boy said, a sudden firmness in his voice usually reserved for when he had to make speeches to the masses. Ilham turned back around to look at him, a slightly confused look on his face.

"Want what taken down, Angel?" he asked, although the tone of his voice made it clear that he had a pretty good idea of what the boy was talking about.

"You know what I'm talking about. The _king._ That's not the kind of message we want to send with our victory. It's barbaric," he said, suddenly sounding much older than the twelve years he really was. It was that same wisdom trapped inside the cheerful child's body that had allowed him to become such a powerful figure in the war. Ilham was smiling again, but it wasn't a kind smile. It looked more bloodthirsty than anything, but the older man nodded all the same.

"Alright then, Angel of Death. I'll get my men right on it," he said, before bowing just slightly and heading out of the room.

Once he was gone, the young boy sighed softly before turning towards Senri, a smile already on his face once again. He couldn't be happier that this war was finally ending, and even if the finishing blow had been a bit of overkill in his opinion, the others did have a point. Maybe it was better to be safe than sorry, not to mention…

"Isn't that just amazing Senri? One of the princes had been on our side this entire time," he said happily, and the teen smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I wonder what he's like, or what kind of +anima he is. We should have asked Ilham," he continued, used to having these seemingly one-sided conversations with Senri. The child started laughing slightly, swinging the scythe this way and that as he walked towards the door, the silent teen following behind him.

"A +anima prince… I hope we get to meet him one day. Who knows, maybe we can even be friends."

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><p>Ta-daa! I know it's short, but I'm blaming that on the fact that it's an interlude instead of an actual chapter. But yes, it's Cooro and Senri! You didn't think they'd be left out of the story, did you? And oh, the twisted views everyone will have of each other, how fun it will be.<p>

Anyway, I hope you liked it. Not entirely sure when the next chapter will be up, since I'm going out to califronia for a week, but I hope to be able to post it during some free time when I'm out there. As always, thanks for reading, and please review.


	6. Unraveling

Hello everyone, it's time for a new chapter. I'm still on vacation, but I managed to write this chapter beforehand. And during the trip. Had to write it twice. My word document locked all of my documents, and I couldn't edit or send it to my beta reader or anything, so I had to retype it while on the road. But I managed to, and so yay, it's done. Once again, we are back to Husky, so hooray, and onward with the new chapter.

Chapter 5 – Unraveling

The first thing that Myrrha could bring himself to focus on was the soreness that ran through his entire body, a dull ache in every single one of his muscles. The closest experience he could place the feeling to was after he'd nearly drowned becoming a +anima.

The longer he laid in his half asleep stupor, the more things he slowly managed to become aware of. Mainly, that his wrists felt like someone had went at them with a wood sander, and that he couldn't remember falling asleep. That last thought jogged his brain slightly, and he slowly started to recall the events of the past few days.

The attack. Being captured. Kazana and Raza. Being thrown into that dungeon and meeting Fatin. Being taken back to the palace. Fatin taunting him. Being taken up to that balcony…

An involuntary whimper escaped past his lips as his mind caught up to the last of his memories, and he squeezed his already shut eyes even tighter. He did not want to remember that. At all. A shudder ran down his body, and he curled up even smaller than he already had been, desperately trying to push the terrible memory back to wherever it had hidden itself beforehand.

"Hey, I think he's waking up. Well, that or it's another nightmare. Wouldn't be surprised."

The silver prince's eyes shot open at the sound of the vaguely familiar voice. Pushing himself up as fast as his aching body would allow him, Myrrha frantically started scanning the room for its other occupant. Every inch of his body was tense, like an animal ready for flight. When his vision finally focused on the young reptilian +anima across the room, he didn't become any more at ease.

Taj had a lopsided grin on his scaly face as he watched the prince from where he stood against a stone wall. Before Myrrha was able to gather himself enough to attempt to speak, someone else cut him off.

"I'd say waking up, from the looks of it."

This voice he recognized instantly and it caused him to take in a sharp breath of air, the fear he wished to hide clear as day.

Damn it. He could not deal with these people so soon after seeing… He couldn't even say it in his mind, either unwilling or unable to admit that it had been real. He wasn't sure which.

Sharp, deep blue eyes stared down at him, and it was only then did Myrrha realize that it was from the outside of a barred cell. Raza was smirking, for once concealing the rows of sharp teeth inside of his mouth, but it was still clear that he found something about the silver prince very amusing.

Despite the fear that was threatening to overpower his mind and send him into panic mode, Myrrha started attempting to take in as much of his surroundings as possible. He could only see out of the front of the cell he was in, once again sitting on the floor, the rest of the small area completely bare. The three sides around him were stone, and metal bars ran up the last side. Walls, firelight from several torches hung at set intervals in the walls and no windows were the only thing that he could see outside of the cell without moving from his spot.

Shifting his position to try and get up the courage to speak, something rubbing against his still raw wrists caught his attention. It wasn't the metal chains, he had no idea when they'd untied him, but what it was confused and unsettled him even more.

A white shirt cuff, sticking out from the sleeve of a jacket, with an opal gemstone acting as the cufflink. Eyes widening in confusion, he immediately started looking over the rest of his body.

The jacket he was now wearing was a deep purple, heavily embroidered with gold and red threads and beads on both the top and bottom. Pearls in the shape of teardrops were sown into rows on the sleeves, as well as normal round ones trimming the edges of the embroidery. The undershirt was white like it's cuffs, with a high collar that he knew would be trimmed in gold, several opal buttons going down until about the middle of his chest. A shimmering red wrap covered the rest of the undershirt, intricate gold designs catching in the firelight. Light grey pants were tucked into boots, which had several different kinds of gemstones encrusted around their trim.

This was not what he'd been wearing when he was captured, but he had seen the outfit before, which only further added to his mountain of confusion. Luckily, it was in that bewilderment that he was able to find his voice.

"These… these are Keane's clothes. The ones he wore when they named him Crown Prince. Why am I…?" he trailed off, the strangeness of it all combined with all of the shock he'd been through not allowing his brain to function as fast as it normally would.

Even still, or perhaps because of, his mind not allowing him to think about what was actually going on in the present, he was able to remember that day. It had been over a year ago now, which probably explained why everything more or less fit him. He hadn't been allowed to go to the ceremony, of course. The entire reason it had even happened at all was because they had needed to fake his death, after all.

Somehow though, the redheaded prince had managed to get away afterward and sneak into his room. To this day, Myrrha couldn't quite comprehend why he'd wanted to do that or how he'd managed to pick the lock in the first place, but it was the first time he'd seen any of the other princes since he was stowed away in his new room.

Before Myrrha was even able to open his mouth and ask what was going on Keane started to babble on about how sorry he was, and that he had never meant for anything like this to happen. He had never meant for Myrrha to try to kill himself.

That was also the day that the silver prince had found out about the suicide rumor.

That had been the story that both the country and the entire palace had been told. They hadn't ever asked him what happened, and he had no idea where they had gotten that idea. He immediately started to deny it, but when Keane had asked him what really happened, Myrrha found that he didn't have any explanation he could actually use.

He was still being allowed to stay at the palace, but if he started going around accusing one of the queens of attempted murder, he doubted it would last much longer. Especially a queen as dangerous and now as powerful as Dylana.

Besides all of that and the fact that he didn't even like Keane, Myrrha couldn't bring himself to look the redhead in the eye and tell him the truth. After all, how do you flat out tell someone 'Your mother tried to kill me'?

Keane had taken his silence as proof that he actually had attempted suicide, though. He then started going on about how he shouldn't lie, and that no one thought any less of him because of it. Myrrha hadn't had any idea why the redhead was acting like that then. Keane had always hated him.

He had known that Keane's claim of people seeing him the same was a lie too. Tried to kill himself, and then chickened out at the last second and became a +anima? It explained the disgust and shame in everyone's eyes, and he didn't even need to see them to know how they felt about him now.

Looking back on it, Keane was probably actually trying to be nice for some strange reason that was beyond Myrrha, so maybe he shouldn't have blown up as badly as he had. Throwing shoes and screeching at the redhead to leave him alone might have been going a little overboard.

Myrrha was swiftly pulled out of the past by the sound of Taj chuckling and landed right back in the small cell. He still had a throbbing pain coursing throughout his body, was still confused, and still had no idea why he was wearing these clothes.

"Oh, we just thought they'd look good on you. Seems we were right. Very pretty," Taj said, looking the boy over once again.

The silver prince was about to start yelling, familiar anger bubbling inside of him at the 'pretty' comment, which quickly died when the third occupant of the room reminded Myrrha of his presence.

"Very pretty, indeed."

It seemed that the child's brain had finally managed to catch up with everything that had happened up until this moment, and the sudden wave of near paralyzing fear caused any words to die in his throat. The only sound he found himself making was a barely audible squeak, his eyes wide enough they threatened to fall out of his head.

"Is something the matter?" Raza asked, his voice full of mocking concern as he took a few steps towards the cell.

The young boy instantly started to scurry farther back, trying to get as far away from the intimidating man as possible.

"Get away! Don't touch me!" he yelled, wishing he could ignore the panic that was coating his words or the way his voice cracked.

Raza had stopped walking forward, although he was practically at the bars already, so there wasn't really any need for Myrrha's exclamation. Unless the man came inside the cell, of course, which was the last thing the frightened child wanted to happen.

"Oh come now. Do we seem like the types to ever do something to make you feel uncomfortable, my prince?" the black haired man's sharp teeth were easily visible now, and Myrrha had to close his eyes momentarily to try to calm himself. It didn't exactly work, and despite the fact that he meant them to be a thing of defiance, his words came out as shaky and fearful as before.

"Don't call me that. M-my name's Myrrha, and I'm not your _anything_," he struggled out. The silver prince couldn't help but pull the ornate coat tighter around his skinny frame. He wasn't actually cold, regardless of the chills running up and down his spine. Despite the layers of clothes and fabric he now wore, he felt exposed.

"I think we freaked him a little," Taj offered, although he sounded like he was close to laughing at the child's near panic attack.

Taking a deep breath, Myrrha tried desperately to pull himself together. He just had to keep reminding himself that he couldn't let these monsters get to him. They were trying to break him for some reason. He'd figured that out as soon as Fatin had started talking about his father.

He just never thought they'd be this good at it.

"How… how long have I been… out?" he asked, absolutely hating how hard it was for him to just form sentences.

"Over a day now. You _must _be starving," Raza informed him, although his voice sounded anything but concerned.

The silver prince instantly started shaking his head, although now that Raza had mentioned food, he tried to remember the last time he ate. He couldn't. Some time before the attack on the palace, and that had been… two days ago? Three? He never went that long without eating before. He _should _be starving.

"Come on. We're not letting you starve yourself to death, if that's your big escape plan," Taj spoke up, still leaning coolly against the stone wall.

Myrrha almost instantly glared at the reptilian +anima, managing to distract himself slightly from the fear that Raza had trapped him in. Taj wasn't nearly as scary.

"I would never try to kill myself!" he growled, slightly impressed that he was able to get a bit of his old defiance back into his voice. It wasn't much, but it was still better than the shaking way he'd been speaking beforehand. Maybe it was because he'd just been thinking about how the palace had thought he'd tried the same thing.

No matter his reasons, he'd managed to catch their attention a bit more with his declaration. Now, if only he could keep himself from flinching when they stared at him.

"Oh really? Because that's how Fatin said you became a +anima in the first place," Taj said. Myrrha just continued to glare weakly at the young adult, keeping his line of sight squarely away from Raza.

"How would she know?" he asked defiantly. Taj just smiled though, and once again the silver prince caught sight of the long forked tongue flickering in the air for a second before disappearing from view.

"She has her ways. Women, they always do," he answered, adding the last part jokingly. Myrrha just glared harder though, anything but amused.

"Well, she's wrong. I didn't try to kill myself. It was an accident," he said sternly.

After the incident with Keane that's what he'd taken to calling it. An accident. He never gave any details either. He didn't want to end up contradicting himself if he ever forgot what he'd told someone. It wasn't that anybody ever tried to say sorry like Keane had, or that he saw anybody much at all. It still came up every so often though, and Myrrha would always correct them. Even though no one, save for his own mother and by circumstances alone Dylana, believed him.

Even if being in that pond wasn't, his becoming a +anima was an accident. Something that was never supposed to happen. That much he could believe was true.

From the look that Taj was giving him, the silver prince knew that he didn't buy it.

"Well," Raza started, very quickly knocking Myrrha out of his one-sided glaring match with the reptilian adult, "whether it's your intention or not, we cannot let you get any skinnier." The boy managed to frown at him, but any of the fire in his eyes was doused to struggling embers by his fear, just barely managing to cling to life.

"I won't trust any food you give me…" he began hesitantly. It was true after all, but he didn't really think that they would let him get off with that as an excuse.

Raza just nodded, appearing to have expected the boy to say something along those lines.

"I don't see why that would be a problem. You will eat," the sharp man said simply, effectively causing him to shudder.

Myrrha didn't understand why he wasn't able to hold himself together like before, instead every implied threat breaking down his ability to fight a tiny bit more. He knew what they were trying to do, so logically he should be able to prepare himself for it.

When he thought about it, the answer was plain as day. It was because of that horrible _thing _Fatin had shown him. It was because he passed out for over a day, and woke up wearing a different outfit from what he'd had on when he'd lost consciousness. It was because that outfit belonged to a half-brother that was dead now, along with the rest of his family.

There was no way he would be able to eat now. Not when he went and made himself feel like he was going to throw up whatever was left in his already empty stomach.

Despite this, Raza flashed him a less than genuine smile before bowing and starting down what Myrrha assumed to be some sort of hallway. Raza started after him, stopping at the cage momentarily before leaving.

"You be good now and wait for us to get you some yummy food," he said mockingly. The silver prince snarled at him, the anger helping him to focus slightly. Taj just chuckled before turning off again to leave him.

He wasn't able to see the exit they used though. Instead he had to rely on the sound of the door opening and closing behind them to know when he was alone once again.

He had no idea where in the palace he actually was, if he was even still in it at all. He'd been out for over a day apparently, plenty of time for them to move him to who knows where.

Closing his eyes, the silver prince tried to calm himself down once again, taking deep, even breaths. It worked somewhat, now that those two were gone, but he had no idea how he was going to fare once they inevitably returned with whatever food they were going to force him to eat.

If it was just Taj who came back, he would probably be okay. It would be worse, but not horrible, if it was the two of them together. If it was just Raza however, he didn't know how well he would be able to keep from shrinking to the back of his cell if the black haired man tried anything.

In the back of his mind, he wondered why one didn't just go and the other stay to watch him, but quickly vanquished the thought. He had a rare stroke of luck, being allowed to try to rebuild himself enough to face them again, and he wasn't going to go jinx it.

It was strange; usually he didn't believe in things like jinxes and the like. All of this must be getting to him worse than he thought.

Myrrha reminded himself that at the very least, he was still alive. These people still wanted him for something, although he couldn't figure out what yet. The way they'd decided to dress him up like some sort of living doll was only serving to confuse him even more, but he tried to tell himself that it didn't matter. If he was still alive, he could still fight back.

No matter how he was just barely able to hold together the pieces of him they were trying to destroy, it was enough to know he was still alive. And that was all he needed to keep fighting.

* * *

><p>And now the chapter's done. Yay again. Although I feel bad for Husky almost every time I read any chapter of this story so far. Don't worry, I'll make it up to the little guy. It might not be anytime soon though.<br>Oh, and look everyone, Keane! Haha, yeah, I'll be quite now.

As always, thanks for reading and please review.


	7. Muddled Minds

Hello people. I just have to say this before I begin. I have the best beta reader in the entire world. Kay Hau expanded on a few scenes in this chapter, and did an absolutely amazing job~ Hopefully you'll all think so too.

Chapter 6 - Muddled Minds

Myrrha didn't have to wait in his cell for very long before the sound of a door opening reached his ears. Once it was shut, a slightly inhuman click-clack of one set of feet eased his mind slightly. That was not what Raza's steps sounded like.

Looking up, he expected to see the annoying but so far bearable Taj coming with whatever food they'd scrounged up for him. Instead, the silver child was caught off guard when the reptilian +anima was not the one to appear, but Fatin. The winged woman held a bowl in one hand, and stared down at the prince with a disinterested look plastered on her face.

"So, our little prince is finally awake?" she said, tossing the small bowl in between the bars at him. Myrrha was just barely able to catch it, a bit of what was inside spilling over the edge. He immediately put it down at his side afterwards though, only to have to flail slightly to catch the small wooden spoon that came flying at him next. Rolling his eyes, he placed it with the bowl without a second thought. He knew he needed to eat, but he didn't trust these people in the least.

"What happened to the other two? I thought one of them was going to bring me food," he asked, trying to just focus on the now. He couldn't let himself get caught up in what had happened the last time he'd been alone with this woman. Fatin didn't seem very interested in his question, although she answered none the less.

"Would you like me to go bring them back instead? Surely you haven't become quite so attached," she mocked. Myrrha snarled at her, but didn't say anything, instead turning towards the bowl of food at his side.

It was some sort of rice dish. Looking closely he noticed a few bits of fish in it. _Hilarious_.

"I don't trust you monsters," he stated plainly, knowing that she would understand what he was referring to. Fatin just rolled her eyes though, arms crossed as she leaned against the back wall. Her wings were splayed out to each side, and Myrrha couldn't help but wonder just what kind of bird she was. It had to be something with a giant wingspan, probably some sort of predator.

"Then you're just wasting both our time. If we were going to kill you, we wouldn't have waited this long, and believe me, it _wouldn't _be with poison," she said. Reluctantly, Myrrha believed her. He highly doubted they would be quite that 'generous' when they killed him.

It was still 'when' to the child, not 'if'. Even if it wasn't until after whatever Raza's plan was became a reality. Once he was no longer of any use to them, they would dispose of him immediately.

Conceding that now was most likely not that time, he started eating.

It didn't take him very long to finish the bowl, his hunger becoming quite apparent once he began to eat. After all, it'd been over three days since he'd last ate anything.

Fatin just watched him, a slightly bemused expression on her face. Myrrha ignored her though. He guessed she had to stay so that he wouldn't throw the strange tasting rice away and starve himself to death, as if that was something he'd _ever _do.

Of course, this was the woman who was certain that he'd gotten his +anima through a botched suicide attempt, so it wasn't a surprise that she'd think he'd try to kill himself a second time.

After he was finished, the silver prince threw the bowl back at her through the bars. To his disappointment she'd managed to catch it in one talon-like hand with no problem.

With a cold smile, she seemed to analyze him as he sat glaring up at her from his cage. After a moment, she started speaking again.

"So, how does our Crown Prince feel now?" she asked, and Myrrha simply rolled his eyes once again.

"Just cut it. I know all you care about is whatever plan that stupid sharp toothed Raza came up with," he practically growled. Fatin just raised an eyebrow though, giving the most subtle hint of an expression, although Myrrha couldn't even tell which one.

"Sharp toothed? I suppose that is one way to describe a shark +anima," she said, and the silver prince found himself nodding despite himself at the newly discovered fact. A _shark_. Well, that made sense.

The winged woman didn't say anything else after that, simply standing and watching the child with an amused look in her eyes. As if she knew something that he did not.

Myrrha just glared back at her, wondering how they'd gotten into this staring match to begin with. But he was determined, no matter the cause, to not be the first one to look away all the same. He refused to be scared of these monsters, no matter what they did to him. What else could they do anyway? Kill him? He was already expecting that.

Despite his determination, Myrrha soon started to feel himself fade away.

It started off with just a lightheadedness that he quickly dismissed. Probably ate too fast after going without food for so long, or maybe he was still a bit dehydrated. They hadn't given him any water with his food, after all. Soon though, despite all his stubborn determination, he had to look away as he squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed his head. It… didn't exactly hurt, but something was… wrong?

It felt a little like the room was wobbling around, and he backed unsteadily up to the wall and grabbed one of the bars of his cage for balance.

By the time he realized that something was truly wrong with him, he wasn't able to focus enough to concentrate on what it could be.

Just what was going on with him? What did those monsters do this time? Messing with his head?

No… that… Yes? Maybe? What was he…? Where was… ?

He… he couldn't think straight anymore. Or at least, he didn't _think _that he could. Everything was all… fuzzy now.

Looking up, not remembering when he had even started to look down to begin with, he saw the winged woman in front of him, but couldn't place any meaning to her.

Something inside of him told him that she was bad, but he couldn't figure out why. Why didn't he like the lady with wings again?

Wings… +anima? She was a +anima, right? Was that why she… bad? No… +anima aren't bad. +Anima are slaves, right? Wait… that didn't sound right either… Fish +anima… Fish in his food…

Fish? Was he a fish? He almost started giggling at the thought.

Fatin smiled when she saw the confused look on the young prince's face. His eyes were somewhat glazed over and seemed to be jumping from one place in the room to another, following no real pattern. Perfect.

The mixture had worked even faster than she had thought it would. She approached until she stood right on the other side of the bars from Myrrha and knelt down, carefully taking his face in her hands and directing it towards her. She waited until his bouncing eyes and dilated pupils seemed to latch onto her face.

"Hello dear. I need to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?" she said gently, watching as Myrrha frowned at her, then smiled slightly and nodded in understanding. Apparently his dazed mind had come to the conclusion that it was okay to talk to her… as if anyone under _that _would do anything different.

It was always easier if you were kind at first.

"What is your name?" she started off with. Even though they already knew it, it would be best to just get it confirmed for certain. Plus, she didn't want to start off with something too hard.

"Myrrha…?" he mumbled, although he sounded uncertain.

Fatin was about to ask him another question when he continued.

"I think. I… I might be Husky..."

The winged woman wasn't too surprised by that name either, having heard of it before. So many seemingly useless details from an old connection into the palace were turning out to be much more valuable than she'd originally gave them credit for.

Husky. Husky because he shared the same rough accent as his mother, the twenty-second queen, Marein. A boyish taunt the older princes would call the then crown prince, Myrrha – both to please their jealous mothers and for the fun of bullying.

"You're Myrrha," she said plainly, clearing up that confusion for the drugged boy. "Now, how did you become a +anima, Myrrha?" she asked, starting to stroke his hair through the bars. The prince didn't seem to even notice the contact, instead focusing solely on deciphering the answer to her question.

She was expecting the kid to go all whiney, complaining about his mean brothers and scary stepmothers. She expected him to start crying as he told her how he just needed to get away, that he couldn't handle it all.

"K-K-Keane's mom! D-Dylana!" stuttered the boy, eyes widening and jumping all over the place. She quickly tightened her grip on his head to keep him focused on her. The boy continued, though his eyes were no longer on her face, but locked on some image in the past.

"She - She tried to k-kill me. I don' wanna die! Please don't let her kill me! C-can't breathe! I d-don't know how to swim…" he struggled out, yanking his head away from her and scurrying to the opposite side of the cage. He pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face in them, trembling like a leaf, his hands protectively shielding his throat. He started making gasping noises, as if he was being choked.

Fatin didn't make any move to comfort the boy, instead going over the new information in her head with a cold and calculated precision. So it hadn't been a suicide attempt after all, but an attack from a jealous queen.

A queen that happened to be the mother of the 'crown prince' that replaced Myrrha after his 'death'.

Fatin couldn't help but smile at the way everything was falling into place so nicely. This new story would only serve to strengthen the general populace's belief in their goals. An evil queen that would try to murder her son's rival, an innocent child that happened to have the king's favor, all to advance her own position. Disgusting. Surely deserving of death.

What a beautiful picture they could paint.

Turning her attention back towards the silver prince, he was still curled up in his fear induced ball. They certainly were lucky that he wasn't this pathetic normally, or else she highly doubted Raza's plan would be as effective.

"Stop that. You're perfectly fine. She can't hurt you anymore," she told him sternly.

Slowly Myrrha started to look up at her again, his blue eyes still muddled and confused from the effects of the drugs. His hands dropped from his neck and his breathing evened out. He stared at the bird lady for a moment, then hugged his knees back to his chest while his eyes bounced around the room.

"W-where's my mom?" he asked, no doubt wanting some familiarity with the state of confusion he was thrust into.

Smiling, Fatin again approached him and knelt. She took to running one of her talon-like hands through his hair once again. This time, he seemed to acknowledge that she was doing it, albeit it was clear that he didn't understand why. Strange, usually children relaxed and accepted anyone when under that particular potion. He must be quite stubborn, or perhaps just highly intelligent, to still be able to sense that something wasn't right.

"Not here. Now tell me, what happened after you became a +anima?" she asked, watching as a look of desperate concentration passed over his face once again before he finally managed to answer. Even as he obediently came up with the answer, he still pulled away from her hands.

"I was … put in a room. It wasn't bad though. Father didn't mean it as bad... Protection, so that I won't hafta be a slave," the child struggled out, shaking his head slightly as if he wasn't entirely sure if what he said was the truth.

Fatin didn't expect him to continue on, but he did.

"He still cares about me, even if he can't see me anymore. Mom said so. Even if I'm a disgrace…" Myrrha trailed off, his eyes becoming even more blank than they were a moment ago.

"Why are you a disgrace?" asked Fatin, actually feeling a little irritated at the word. It… stung. Personally.

"Princes… not supposed to be +anima. It's… wrong. Why is it wrong?" he asked her, puzzled. His eyes locked on her long enough to see she wasn't going to reply. "No one can answer me... Not even mom knows why. I'm sorry…" His eyes seemed to focus for a minute on the bars and he frowned, dizzyingly lurching forward and grabbing one.

"Can I come out, now? I don't like… don't like being locked up…"

Fatin could tell that the concoction she'd made was almost completely through his system now. It wouldn't be long before he collapsed, and any chance for further questions would be gone. She'd already managed to get most of the useful information they needed for the moment out of him, but there was no point in wasting a final question. One can never know too much about those you are trying to control, after all.

"Now, can you tell me something you care about? Something you miss, or would miss if it was taken away?" a controlled smile was plastered on her face as she watched the boy think.

He'd been putting up quite the stubborn front so far, but she knew that it was _just _a front. Those walls were easy enough to crack, if you knew just where and how to strike. After all, she'd seen him faint from the sight of his father's remains.

"Aunty Crystala…" he mumbled finally. The prince's clouded eyes were almost dropped shut now, but he managed to continued in a slurred voice.

Fatin's eyes locked on the boy, widening ever so slightly in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that answer at all.

"She hasn't visited in so long. They… they told me why. I know they did but… I can't r-remember…" With that, the child slumped to the side in a heap, the potion knocking him fully unconscious. He would sleep it off, and wake up with not a trace left in his system. Of course, he'd have a bit of a headache, but he'd be fine in no time at all.

Fatin stared at the sleeping prince for a moment, as if unsure if what she'd heard him say was real or not. After a moment, she started to chuckle before heading towards the exit. That could not have gone better for them.

She'd been skeptical at first, but that meeting with Raza, along with finding out just who the silver haired child was to begin with, had cemented it for her.

Now all they needed to do was get Ilham fully on board and everything could start moving forward smoothly. And with the new information and insights she had from that little question and answer session with 'Prince Myrrha', it shouldn't be hard to get the man to agree.

Yes, she had no doubt that soon their little +anima prince would become the perfect puppet. A nice little doll for the masses to worship.

…

Myrrha felt like his head was being split open by a wooden board. That, combined with once again not remembering when or how he'd fallen asleep in the first place or where in the world he might be at the moment did not induce a very happy mood.

"Ugh… damn it," he grumbled, slowly starting to push himself up and look around.

Once his eyes managed to focus themselves once again he found that, at the very least, he was still in the same cell that he last remembered being in. A slight wave of panic hit him and he looked down, only to sigh in relief at finding he was still wearing Keane's old coronation outfit. That meant it couldn't have been that long, and they hadn't yet done anything more to him.

Rubbing his head, the silver child tried to remember what the _hell _had happened to give him such a horrible headache.

Much to his great annoyance, the last thing he could remember was glaring up at Fatin after eating that food. She'd said… something, to him, and then everything got fuzzy. It was just a big blank in between that and waking up now.

He probably should be scared, but with everything else going on, a memory blank just didn't seem all that fearsome.

"What happened?" he asked no one in particular. Just as he expected, the silent cells did nothing to answer his question.

Sighing, he wasn't sure if it was in defeat at the moment that he wouldn't be able to remember, or just annoyance, he leaned against the back wall of the cell. The stone was cold, and helped to ease the random throbbing pain slightly. He'd almost fallen back to sleep when he heard a door open once again.

Pushing himself away from the wall, he glared at the empty space on the opposite side of the bars, waiting for whoever it was coming inside to show themselves. It wasn't long before once again Fatin appeared in his line of sight.

She had a rather smug look on her face, but Myrrha tried to keep it from unnerving him. It was better than the blank mask she had on most of the time. He didn't know what she might be thinking about when she was like that.

"What happened after I ate? I don't remember," he asked, trying to sound more angry and annoyed than actually worried. It was then that he noticed a large rope in one of her hands. Looks like they were moving him again. Well, at least it wasn't the bulky and painful metal chain like before.

"Of course you don't remember. They usually don't," she said simply, opening the cell door and grabbing his wrists before he had any chance to run off. Not that he could concentrate on escape with his head pounding.

Myrrha wasn't able to hold back a yelp of pain as she squeezed the still raw flesh where the chains had cut him. Wrapping the rope around them, the coarse material stung at his wounds almost _worse _than the chains had.

The silver prince wasn't able to gather himself enough to ask what she was talking about before the winged woman started pulling on the free end of the rope, sending more waves of pain through the child. It effectively forced him to follow her without much of a struggle, and it took him until they were almost at the door to find his voice once again.

"What do you mean 'they usually don't'? What the hell did you do to me?" he demanded, trying to keep the panic in his voice at a minimum. Walking out of the dungeon like room, the child saw that the hallway was actually curved, and let out of small sigh of relief under his breath. It wasn't concrete proof that they were still in the palace, but it did at least lean in that direction.

"You're quite a tightlipped child. We just made it so that you'd be a bit more… at ease, talking to us," she said, the small smile on her face making it clear that she was quite amused by the way that Myrrha's breath hitched and he stumbled to a stop.

"Y-you _drugged _me!" he practically screeched, ignoring the pain in his wrists as he pulled as far away from the winged woman as the rope would allow. It wasn't anywhere as far as he would have liked, but he highly doubted that he could find a rope that would have let him go halfway around the world.

Fatin didn't say anything, instead just tugging on the rope slightly as she continued forward. Myrrha growled as he tried to dig his feet into the stone floor, the fury and horror that they'd managed to make him so vulnerable so easily renewing his fight. But it was like his Aunty Crystala had always warned him, he just didn't have the weight or strength to defend himself once his opponent caught him. It was embarrassingly easy for the woman to continue to drag him down the hall.

"Damn it! Let me go already!" he yelled, struggling to pull away from the woman and causing his wrists to bleed once again. "I'm not going along with whatever the hell that bastard's plan is! Just give up already! Monster! Witch!" he yelled, hoping maybe if he was loud and annoying enough they wouldn't want to put up with him anymore.

Hey, it'd worked with his brothers. They usually gave up taunting him when he turned their insults right back around at them, and they'd always been wary when he started yelling.

The second the word 'witch' left his mouth however, an extremely sharp yank on the rope caused the silver prince to lose his balance and tumble to the floor.

"Oww…" he let out weakly, looking down to see the rope tied around his wrists almost completely covered in red by this point. The white ends of his shirt sleeves were also stained horribly, and as he watched, more red dripped to the floor. It actually made him a little dizzy to think that it was all his blood.

Myrrha quickly became aware of someone's eyes on him, and glanced up to see Fatin staring down at him. To his surprise, she didn't look angry, but almost like she was about to laugh at the struggling child. Which was really, really creepy – as her eyes were completely dead even as her mouth twitched and smirked.

"You should try to be a little more creative with your insults," she said, confusing the silver boy to no end. After a moment of silence, she simply rolled her eyes and tugged on the rope again, signaling Myrrha to stand. Reluctantly, he did, and started to follow her with much less difficulty than before.

"Where are we going?" he asked after a while, unsure if she would actually answer him. Much to his surprise, she answered right away.

"A meeting. I'm sure you'll find it very interesting," she said. The silver prince was silent after that, trying to figure out what in the world that could mean. If it was good or bad news for him. Was this where they would decide what to do with him once and for all? Maybe he'd finally be able to figure out just what they wanted to do with him.

He didn't know, but all he could do at the moment was wait to see.

* * *

><p>And done. I can't help but feel so 'awwww' for Husky in this chapter, but I'm pretty sure it's been that way the entire way though, but yeah. Well, I don't really have much else to say, so thanks for reading and as always please review.<p> 


	8. A Battle of Wit and Strength

Hello everyone. New chapter, and pretty fast too. That's probably mostly because inspiration for this story just seems to keep coming at an exponential rate. I have to say, I really like this upcoming chapter. I think things are really starting to get moving, so I'll stop rambling for now and just let you all read instead.

Chapter 7 - A Battle of Wit and Strength

Myrrha wasn't sure how far they had gone before finally stopping in front of one doorway in particular. Without any hesitation Fatin started inside, dragging the silver haired prince behind her.

How could she be so sure that she was in the right place? They'd only taken over the palace a few days ago, after all. Myrrha was sure that they were still in the palace now as well, having recognized a few of the hallways they'd passed along the way.

Whatever the reason for her knowledge, the prince didn't have very long to think about it before they were both inside and she locked the door behind them.

Myrrha couldn't quite place what this room had been used for before the revolution had taken hold. It might have been one of the meeting rooms for the king when he met with the nobles for assistance. Several chairs and a long table that had survived the attack suggested as much.

Any further wonderings about the room were quickly wiped from his mind when he took notice of the people already there. All three of them, plus Fatin, now focused on him.

Two of them he recognized instantly. Taj wasn't sitting in a chair like the others, but instead leaned up against the wall again, just slightly behind where Raza sat smirking at the prince from the table. To Myrrha's surprise, it wasn't either of these two who started speaking first, but the final occupant of the room.

"_This _is the… _boy_, that's gotten the three of you so worked up?" a huge man demanded, the disbelief in his voice very clear.

This man was much more muscular than either Raza or Taj, and had armored plates on both his arms and legs. Light tan battle clothes covered the rest of him, and his brown hair was slightly crinkled. The most distinguishing feature the silver prince caught though were the large claws covered in orange and black fur that replaced both his hands and feet, as well as a similarly colored tail twitching irritably behind him. When he spoke, large fangs were easily visible inside of his mouth.

A tiger +anima.

The silver prince tried to keep himself from getting irritated at the way the man had hesitated on the word 'boy'. He was already in a horrible mood, to say the least. Something told him that the hesitation had been a last-second replacement of a much more demeaning term – and Myrrha _hated _being looked down on.

In just the past few days, he'd been locked up, tied up, thrown around, and let's not forget _drugged_. He'd been forced to see his father's dead body, his mother stained in red, his half-siblings being murdered, his home invaded. Raza's scheming smirk, Taj's teasing laugh, Fatin's dismissive glare…

He was fed up with being upset. With being confused, and scared. Right now he was just _mad_.

He managed to keep himself from saying anything though, and Fatin pulled him over towards the table. She didn't make any move to let go of the rope once she took a seat, the silver prince having no choice but to stand at her side.

Myrrha reluctantly decided that it would be best to just stay silent for now, and listen to whatever it was these four were going to do. At least at first. He needed to find out what the heck they were up to, after all.

"Believe me, Ilham, he has much more potential than his appearance might let on," Raza said, surprising the silver prince slightly.

The first thing to strike him was that this was the infamous war general Ilham that even he'd heard about. His reputation had leaked even into the palace, and was such a notable one that even the guards and queens had openly discussed the revolutionary and shuddered at the name. Ilham was known for being vicious, tearing through the kingdom's best soldiers. Looking him over again, Myrrha found himself agreeing that the man seated across from Fatin really was _that _Ilham. That was right, he'd heard that the revolutionary leader was apparently a tiger +anima, and he remembered Taj did actually mention him earlier.

The second thing was more unnerving than really surprising. The sharp-toothed man had made similar statements earlier, after all. But the fact that _Raza _saw potential in him, and could say so quite confidently, did not sound like a good thing at all.

The war general did not seem to have the same faith that the shark +anima had in him, however, snorting as he looked Myrrha over once again.

"I seriously doubt that. Maybe your plan would have a chance if the most important player wasn't so…" he trailed off slightly, trying to decide on a single word to describe how he felt about the stick-thin, feminine child.

"Pathetic," he said at last, a tone of conclusion in his deep voice.

Myrrha instantly bristled at the comment. Maybe he should have been glad that someone was actually fighting against him being used in some sort of vague, diabolical plan, but the silver prince did not take well to being insulted about his appearance. He doubted that they would let him live very long if they weren't going to use him, anyway.

And, in all honesty, he had had _enough_.

"What did you say?" he growled, momentarily catching three of the inhabitant's of the room's attention. Fatin continued being annoyingly good at ignoring him, however.

"The people won't see him that way. You already mentioned how excited those two little generals you like to keep around were at the news of a +anima prince," she argued calmly, causing Ilham to turn back from Myrrha to her. He didn't seem any more convinced than he'd been before, however.

The child was taken away from his anger for a moment when he went over what she'd said. They'd already told people about him? Well, he guessed that could have been Kazana's doing. Since he wasn't here, it was probably safe to assume that he wasn't a part of this strange group.

"Then we just tell the public that we're keeping him safe. It'll appease them, and that way there's nothing for the kid to screw up," Ilham argued back. Raza was shaking his head before the tiger like man had even finished, though.

"The country is too used to the monarchy. They'd want something to worship. And what better than a beautiful +anima representation of the people, and one who still holds the royal bloodline intact at that?" he said.

Wait… Worship? Who on earth ever said anything about the people worshipping the monarchy? Wasn't it just their job to take care of the people and government?

Before Myrrha was able to ask, Taj spoke up for the first time since the silver prince had entered.

"Raza's right, and we still have all the people who _weren't _for the revolution to deal with. The normal merchants and tradesmen and farmers and the like. Little prince-y here could practically be seen as a treaty between the two sides, someone who can represent and understand both. There won't be another chance like this, unless you want to go find another prince that somehow survived the slaughter _and _happens to be a +anima," the lizard like man said.

Ilham didn't seem ready to back down on his stance at all though, standing up from his chair in annoyance and anger.

"I am _not _having some pretty boy royal brat like _that _take the throne!" He yelled, pointing a clawed finger towards the bound prince. "Weren't we trying to get those idiots out of power in the first place?" he asked bitterly.

Worship? Treaty? Throne? Myrrha' eyes were as wide as dinner plates, but he managed to speak before anyone else was able to cut him off once again.

"What the _hell _are you people talking about?" he demanded, looking around the room for at least one of them to answer him.

Finally, Raza was the one to break the silence, the calm smirk never leaving his face. Myrrha couldn't help but wonder how he could be so calm about his plan despite the obvious disapproval one of his 'companions' had for it.

"I told you this country was in desperate need of some idealism, didn't I? What can possibly be more idealistic than a pretty little prince who was abused and shunned by his family, all because he was a +anima, coming to take power as king, after such a horrible revolution, in order to bring peace to the country?"

Myrrha was stunned, not even able to form sentences as what the sharp man said repeated in his brain.

There was no freaking way they would… They were planning to kill him! To make an example of him that no matter what! To prove the old royals hadn't been able to defend themselves from the revolution! Not even becoming +anima themselves could save them! _That's _what made sense! That's what he'd thought…

He was wrong though. He'd been so off the mark! They were planning to make him a…

"A puppet king, of course," Taj said happily, finishing the silver prince's thought off nicely.

"No one will ever have any idea. To the public, it'll be just like Raza said. That is, if _someone _would stop being so stubborn and just admit it's a good idea," Taj continued, turning towards the still standing Ilham as he finished, clearly implying him with his words.

The tiger +anima just rolled his eyes, still not very keen on changing his mind.

"It would be a good idea if he wasn't such a weakling. We still need him to at least _act _like a powerful king," the tiger-like man growled.

Myrrha glared at him, his anger building up to the point of an inevitable explosion. His mind was still reeling from what they'd just revealed, but was also desperately trying to keep his thoughts clear. It did help slightly that his headache from earlier was beginning to vanish.

He did not want to become some sort of puppet for these people, let alone the supposed ruler of the revolution that killed his family like cattle. They wouldn't actually go through with this insane plan anyway. Ilham was obviously not going to agree to it, and for some strange reason, it didn't look like the others would take the simple route and just overrule him.

Myrrha didn't let his mind get caught up on that though. He didn't care why they made the decisions they did. He just needed to know how they would affect him in the end. And right now it looked like Raza's plan was at a dead end, meaning he was useless to them.

To hell with that! If they were going to throw him away as a failed plan, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"If I'm so weak, then untie these stupid ropes and let me fight!" he spat, holding up his bound wrists and glaring straight at the man who thought so little of him.

His outburst, foolish or otherwise, clearly surprised Ilham. The other three all seemed used to his temper, but the silver boy was a bit taken back by the smirk that morphed onto the tiger +anima's face, followed by a short, barking laugh.

"What do you know Raza? Your little _princess _is even dumber than I thought," the muscular man said, starting over towards Myrrha. "As if a twig like that could ever stand a chance in a fight."

The silver boy didn't give Raza any chance to answer him, letting all of the frustration from the past three days focus solely on Ilham. If he was going to die, damn it, he was going down fighting!

"I didn't think the infamous war leader would be afraid to fight a little kid!" he mocked, holding his head up haughtily, and unknowingly looking every inch a majestic royal. "I mean, you seemed so _used _to murdering children _that night _in the palace!" he snapped, eyes flashing.

The tiger +anima glared at him for a moment, then suddenly his whole face seemed to relax. He smirked again, this time eagerly as if at the start of a game he was sure to win, and turned towards Raza, apparently for approval.

"Well, Raza? He's _your _project - "

"I'm not his _anything!" _Myrrha sharply cut in, repeating the same line he'd said when with the shark man earlier in his cell. He sounded much more forceful, but it didn't even seem to matter, everyone still sticking to ignoring him in order to hear what Ilham had to say next.

"So, what do you say? If you really believe he has _that _much promise," Ilham asked, eyes again sizing up that scrawny figure and coming up with absolutely nothing threatening or even remotely impressive.

Raza looked in between the two as he thought deeply on the matter, weighing carefully all the pros and cons.

Myrrha knew that it was crazy, but he was actually hoping that the black haired man said yes. It would be worth any of the pain if he just managed to get a single hit on any one of these monsters. It would be worth death if he could make the tiger-man EAT those words he'd earlier directed at Myrrha. He'd show _him _who was pathetic and useless!

Finally, Raza's smirk came back full force, seeing something he quite liked in their little prince's fierce glare, and he nodded slightly.

"Just don't kill the boy, Ilham. We'll still need him for a while, no matter what the decision is," he said. Thinking for a second longer, he added "Or mess up that face of his. We want to sell a sad story, but a beauty like that shouldn't be tampered with."

Myrrha would normally bristle at what he would hear as an insult about looking girly, but he was too busy meeting Ilham's mocking eyes with his own glare.

The tiger like man nodded, smiling dangerously back at Myrrha.

"Not a problem," he said with confidence. "So, I'd assume you'd want a weapon of some sort? How about a sword? Since I don't think your +anima is all too suited for land combat," Ilham suggested, almost mockingly to the child.

"A staff," he said simply, not needing the slightest time to think about it. He easily noted the look of surprise on the four's faces, one he had seen dozens of times, back when he'd still been allowed to be seen, to train, in front of others.

It wasn't exactly a weapon that most children would ask for, or even adults for that matter. The silver haired boy was not about to go about explaining his reasoning for asking for such a difficult to master instrument though, instead simply waiting for their answer. The less they knew, the better.

"Alright then," Ilham said, chuckling slightly as he did. "Taj, think you could find the kid a staff?" he asked, and the lizard +anima nodded, pushing himself off of the wall and starting towards the door.

"Sure thing. Don't start before I get back! That just wouldn't be fair," he said, unlocking the door and shutting it behind him.

Myrrha rolled his eyes at the comment, even though it was kind of true. There was no way he'd stand a chance against this man if he wasn't armed. Even with a staff, he wasn't entirely sure if he would be able to beat him, but he wasn't about to start psyching himself out now. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

He'd taken down men just as big before. He could do this. Humiliate the monsters if it was the last thing he did.

"I have to say, if anything, your little princess has guts," Ilham said to the black haired Raza.

Raza didn't respond, his eyes watching their prince appraisingly. The child was certainly up to something. He had something up his sleeve, that was for sure, even if he didn't have a chance against Ilham. Certainly not with a _staff._

Myrrha snarled at Ilham, hoping desperately that Taj would hurry up and come back with a staff quickly. He didn't want to wait here and listen to that man insulting him _even when _he was complimenting him!

Thankfully, it wasn't very long before the lizard +anima returned twirling a long staff in his hand, although it was painfully clear – to Myrrha, anyway – that he didn't have the first idea on how to properly wield it.

Before anyone asked, Fatin untied the ropes from Myrrha's wrists, which the silver boy started to twist very slowly. They still hurt from all the abuse they'd been put through the last couple of days, but he couldn't think about that right now.

When Taj handed him the staff, he quickly noticed all of the red still staining his hands and clothes.

"Aw, Fatin, you ruined the outfit we found for him!" he practically whined.

Just how exactly was this guy a part of their group again? Myrrha rolled his eyes, and was slightly disturbed when he noticed the winged woman had done the same. He quickly pushed _that _to the back of his mind.

"We'll get him new clothes before he's released to the public. I highly doubt they'd want to see him in the same outfit that the old Crown Prince wore to his coronation anyway," she told him simply.

Myrrha just turned away from both of them to face Ilham, tired of listening to them plan out a future he was not going to have, and that he most certainly didn't even want to have. He weighed the staff in his hands, examined the length critically, gave it a single spin to check the balance, and met the war leader's eyes.

"Can we just fight already?" he asked irritably, once again causing Ilham to smirk.

"Sure. I'll make this quick," he said confidently.

Myrrha didn't answer, walking over to a part of the room that wasn't taken up by the table and chairs. It was actually a pretty large area, enough for them to fight in. Ilham followed his lead, although making sure to keep a bit of a distance until the fight actually began.

Myrrha didn't wait for any sort of signal or one of the others to say go, instead running straight towards the tiger +anima, staff out in front of him. The silver prince was a bit surprised that he was able to hit the man exactly where he'd attempted, one of the easier disabling pressure points he'd been taught, before jumping a safe distance away again.

He was just barely able to keep himself from wincing at the pain that shocked his wrists when he'd put the pressure on them. He hadn't been able to hit him nearly as hard as he'd wanted to because of the sudden pain, and so it didn't surprise the child when Ilham just looked him over with an amused expression plastered on his battle worn face.

"Cute," was all the older man said, before lunging toward him, claws outstretched.

Myrrha was just barely able to maneuver himself out of the way without being hit, jabbing Ilham with his staff several times. Ignoring the shooting pain now running up and down his arms, he was able to hit him much harder than the first time. Though his wrists ached from the movement, he made full use of all his knowledge, spinning and ducking, using the staff for leverage when he swung or jumped backwards, giving the staff that extra twist to drive it into the opponents as effectively as a spear, just without the blood.

The silver prince growled in frustration that it _still _didn't seem to be having as strong of an effect on the tiger like man as it should have. He should be paralyzed from the waist up by now!

Once again Ilham came barreling towards him, and this time Myrrha wasn't quite fast enough to get out of reach from his claws. The child yelped as one tore painfully into his left side, shredding the jacket and undershirt he was wearing, blood quickly turning them both red and flowing freely to the ground.

Well, it didn't look like Fatin having ruined his shirt sleeves mattered at all anymore, since Ilham having quickly turned the rest of it into scrap.

Steeling himself to ignore the pain, Myrrha slammed the end of the staff into several of the pressure points he'd already jabbed earlier, hoping maybe, if they were already weakened, that repeating the attack would finish the job.

From the way Ilham frowned, he guessed that it had some sort of affect on him. Although it was clearly still not what Myrrha wanted, since the beast was still able to move.

"What the…" Taj mumbled slightly to himself, watching the two fight from the sidelines. The reptilian man's eyes widened in surprise as he watched Myrrha continue to aim at seemingly random points on his opponent's body, just now figuring out what exactly the child was trying to do.

Taj recognized those points from his studies. And he'd personally found the study difficult to the point of mental exhaustion, and the actual application a hundred-fold harder.

"Where in the world does a ten year old palace kid like him learn about pressure points and staff fighting?" he asked incredulously, turning towards the other two +anima still watching the strange match.

Raza's smile only seemed to widen at the younger man's realization.

"So that's what he's been doing. I was wondering," the black haired man said, although he didn't make any attempt to actually find an answer for Taj's question. He seemed content to just watch the rather impressive fight – a fight none of them had honestly expected to last more than five seconds, but was now going into its tenth minute.

Eyes set into a cold glare as she stared at the child, who just barely managed to hold in a scream when Ilham's craws raked down his right arm, Fatin practically growled her answer to Taj's question.

"Must have been Crystala… Of course she'd taught the boy," she muttered, the spite in her voice clear.

Taj simply nodded though, not seeming to fully understand what Fatin was talking about. He turned with a smile back towards the fight, now examining the boy's every action much more carefully.

"Well, whoever taught him did a pretty good job of it," he concluded, obviously impressed. Which only served to irritate Fatin further.

Myrrha winced as Ilham's claws managed to just barely cut into his shoulder, having been able to get out of the way of the brunt of the blow. Jumping a few feet away, he snarled as he looked the man over once again.

"How the hell are you still standing?" he yelled in aggravation, a far cry from the whimpering, bloody mess Ilham had been expecting before the fight began.

Thinking about it, there were probably several reasons as to why Myrrha's attacks weren't anywhere as effective as they normally were. Besides the facts that, one, the tiger +anima was clearly freakishly strong, and two, Myrrha wasn't able to hit as hard as he would have liked with his wrists torn to shreds, the silver prince had never fought a +anima before. It was possible that the pressure points he was trying to hit had moved slightly, or just in different places all together. Especially when he started getting closer towards his more animalistic parts.

Ilham smirked as he looked over the bloodied boy glaring defiantly a few feet away from him. It certainly left a different imagine than the pristine little silver princess he'd seen when he'd first been led into the room. This time, the child was flat out dangerous-looking, even with that pretty face. Dang, if he'd got his hands on the kid before, he would've tried to make him one of his generals.

"I could be asking you the same question," he answered, watching as Myrrha snarled at him once again before running towards him.

The silver prince couldn't help but smirk when he saw Ilham dodge his initial attack, exactly as he'd expected. He quickly shifted his staff so that it slid into the opening at the top of the armor on Ilham's arms at just the right angle, and _pushed_. Pressing down, the boy didn't let up even as Ilham slashed at his arm. Not until he heard a distinct pop from the joint.

Myrrha wasn't able to pull the staff out from the chink in Ilham's armor fast enough to prevent the tiger +anima from knocking it from his grasp. The prince could only watch desperately as his weapon spiraled across the room.

Before he was able to leap after it, Ilham took advantage of the child's loss of balance from losing the staff. Myrrha found himself pinned to the ground, one of Ilham's claws digging painfully into his shoulder. The large man snarled at him, looking more like the tiger of his +anima than a man, huge fangs not even a foot from his face.

It was obviously supposed to be intimidating. Not that Myrrha cared. He was too busy being torn between anger at himself for losing his staff, and a bit of a pride at knowing what he'd done to the man's shoulder.

The silver prince glared straight back at him, ignoring the sharp pain coursing through his body. The blood flowing from the numerous gashes, grazes, and punctures. Raza had already said that he wasn't allowed to kill him, not that Myrrha fully believed a monster like Ilham could be held back, and Myrrha was not about to let the tiger like man get any enjoyment out of watching him squirm.

He wasn't quite able to keep the look of shock off of his face when Ilham backed off of him, _laughing _and rubbing the shoulder that he'd managed to injure.

"I love this kid!" he declared happily.

Myrrha quickly pushed himself into a sitting position, any of the pain he felt temporarily overridden by his disbelief.

"WHAT?" he shrieked. But he just - with the fighting and the, the – what the devil! What in the world was going on? That was it, Myrrha did _not _understand these twisted people, and he had absolutely no desire to!

Much to his absolute hatred, the four adults continued to completely ignore him now that the fight was over.

"The brat even managed to dislocate my shoulder!" continued Ilham cheerfully, even excitedly – though, honestly, shouldn't people with dislocated shoulders be screaming and breathless with pain?

"How'd you find a royal who could do that, Raza? Let alone some girly twig like him!" he continued, gesturing towards the prince still seated on the ground with his uninjured arm, even as, to Myrrha's eternal shock, he twisted his own arm back into place with a resounding and terrifying _crack_.

Before Raza was able to answer, Myrrha was shaking his head, already having enough with the insults and random confusing approval Ilham apparently had for him out of the blue.

"I hate you people, I hate you people, _I HATE you people!" _he repeated. He gathered himself to leap for the staff, intending to demand a rematch. But before he even got an inch in that direction, Taj was by his side with the rope again, retying his wrists together. He didn't wrap it nearly as tightly as everyone else seemed to do, but Myrrha figured he didn't exactly look like he'd be able to escape at the moment anyway. They probably didn't even need the rope.

"Yeah, yeah, we heard you," the lizard +anima said, pulling on his end lightly so that Myrrha would stand. With a smirk, he turned back towards the other three. "I'll go get him patched up. I take it you've changed your mind?" he asked, turning towards the brown haired man.

With a smirk, Ilham shrugged.

"Reluctantly. I still don't think it's as genius of an idea as you all do, but I suppose it could work. There's still no telling how the public will react though," he answered. "Especially all the freed slaves, since we promised them we'd destroy the monarchy."

Taj started to lead the silver haired boy away, casually waving Ilham's concern away.

"There's always a way to know how someone'll react. Don't worry about that," he said confidently, pulling Myrrha into the hallway and shutting the door behind them without another word.

It wasn't until they were about halfway down the curved hallway that the adrenalin and anger start to calm enough that the silver prince was able to think clearly about what had just happened. For some reason or another, because of their fight, Ilham had changed his mind. There wasn't anything holding them back from enacting their twisted plan on him now.

He was going to be the puppet king, and he had absolutely no idea how to stop it.

"Don't suppose I can keep the staff?" he asked Taj a little hopelessly.

The lizard +anima just laughed.

* * *

><p>Yay. So, I have to ask, how do you all feel about the four 'villainsleaders' so far? This was the first time we had them all in a single scene together, and it was fun for me writing how they played off of each other, as well as their own personal views on Husky. This is the largest amount of really important OCs that I've ever had in a story though, and 'evil' ones none the less.

Well, other than that I hope you all liked the chapter, and as always please review.


	9. Preparations

Hey everybody, I'm back from the dead! Yay! I've been super busy for the last month, but it's finally summer which means I'll have time to do things again. As always have to give a shout out to Kay Hau for beta-ing this chapter amazingly.

Chapter 8- Preparations

Myrrha had only been able to walk a few feet out of the room before the pain and fatigue really started to kick in. Despite the severity of his state, having only eaten one small meal in the past few days, been horribly battered and beaten and bleeding, more likely than not dehydrated, _and _still fighting off the last lingering effects of the drugs they'd slipped him, he had managed to keep himself steady enough that it caught Taj completely off guard when his strength finally puttered out completely and he collapsed to the ground.

"What the?" the lizard +anima jolted, turning around to look at the child now laying in a heap on the hard stone floor, completely out cold. Staring for a second, he quickly collected himself and started shaking his head. Leaning down, he lifted the skinny boy with ease, sighing as he continued down the hallway.

"Kid, you are something else," he muttered under his breath, despite knowing there was no way for the prince to actually hear him. Kicking open the door he wanted, he started into the room. It was one of the few that had mostly escaped destruction, and had needed little fixing up to make hospitable again.

Laying Prince Myrrha down on the table in the center, he started looking over the worse of the boy's injuries from his incredibly fight with Ilham.

Taj couldn't help but find himself once again impressed with the skill that Ilham possessed along with his brute strength. Nothing life threatening at all, although a few of the worst injuries would probably leave scars. Thankfully, those were in places that would be easy enough to cover if the prince ever had to go out in public.

Starting to clean and wrap the deepest cut on the boy's side, the first slash Ilham had managed to land, he had no doubt that the boy would be fine once he woke up. As long as they managed to get him some more food and water pretty soon afterwards, anyway. It had been much too long since their 'future king' had any nourishment.

And to think that even in such a wretched state, he'd managed to actually disable Ilham.

It was just as he'd said before. This little royal brat really was something else.

* * *

><p>When Myrrha awoke, he once again found himself alone and in throbbing pain. You'd think he'd be used to that by now. Weakly, he managed to push himself into a sitting position and tried to take in his surroundings as best he could.<p>

Yet another room he couldn't remember. This one didn't seem too badly destroyed, unlike so many of the other hallways and rooms he'd seen. He could still tell it was a part of the palace, at any rate. Finding nothing else of interest at the moment, he turned to inspect himself instead.

To his surprise, the wounds from his earlier fight were all bandaged up, and quite well at that. The rope that had previously bound his hands together was nowhere in sight either, thankfully. The jacket and shirt he'd been wearing before were gone as well, but it didn't freak him out as badly as his first unexpected change of clothing did. Keane's coronation clothes had been torn to shreds and covered in blood during the fight, so they would've had to be removed to properly tend to the various tears, slashes, and punctures in Myrrha's flesh.

He was still wearing Keane's old pants though, but the shoes were missing now as well. He quickly filed all that away as irrelevant as he slowly and carefully pushed himself off the table.

Much to both his annoyance and disgust he still didn't quite have the strength to stand on his own, having to hold onto the table for support instead. He needed to try to get out of here though. The memories of what those monsters were planning to do to him started filling his head once again, bringing forth a bit of renewed determination inside of him.

A puppet king. A pretty doll to present to the people while the revolution that slaughtered his family took control of the country. A toy to make the people of Sailand forget about the destruction and slaughter, to trick them into embracing this new wicked regime.

There was no way in hell he was going along with their plan. He'd _die _before he let such beasts control him.

Taking a few tentative steps away from the table, he started towards the door. It was a hopeless thought, but there wasn't any other way out he could see. No windows in this room, so his only chance at escape at the moment was if they were actually stupid enough to leave him alone in a room with an unlocked door.

When he did make it across the room, he found himself clinging desperately to the knob for support, leaning against it and breathing heavily as his head swam around in circles. Now was no time to be weak. Attempting to twist the knob, he wasn't surprised at all to find it refused to move, his capturers again proving themselves anything but idiots.

With a low growl, he allowed himself to sink to the floor, not wanting to waste what little strength he had left as he thought.

There had to be some other way out of here. There were secret passageways in the palace, but he could barely remember where the entrances to the most well known ones were. He'd have no idea where to look for one in this room he'd never even been in before. Chances were there wasn't even one here to begin with.

"Ahhk!" he yelped in pain. The door behind him had opened unexpectedly and slammed into his side. Pulling himself away from the door, he looked back to find it shut once again, only to see Raza staring down at him.

"Well there, it's good to see our prince up and moving about," the black haired man said, looking quite satisfied with how everything was progressing for him.

Myrrha glared up at him, still too weak to stand back up, but not about to let Raza know that. Instead, he just focused on quelling the fear that had started to grow inside of him again at the sight of the shark +anima that was somehow so good at breaking apart his mental shield.

"I'm not doing it," he managed to declare stubbornly.

Raza didn't seem concerned by his refusal at all, simply taking to walking around the seated child, his eyes examining their little doll carefully. His smirk was back full force now, and Myrrha couldn't help but think how much he looked like a shark circling an easy prey. One that already knew it had won.

"Now now, there's no need to be like that. I'm sure you're quite aware that you're in no position to be giving orders," he said smoothly, even cheerfully.

The silver prince's glare only intensified. Instead of disheartening Myrrha, Raza's mocking words actually gave him courage. It was hard to be scared when he was so pissed off.

"And why not? There's nothing _else _you can take from me! I'd rather die than be a pawn for you monsters!" he spat, ignoring the pain that shot through him as he twisted around, making sure to keep Raza clearly in his line of sight. The sharp man chuckled slightly, seeming amused by the boy's attempts at defiance.

"And I thought you said you weren't suicidal," he said smugly, again standing in front of the child. With little warning he leaned down, grabbing Myrrha's arm to keep him from backing away.

"You _are _going to be our puppet. We have more ways of persuasion then you could ever imagine, my boy," he declared, a sharp edge cutting through the calm way he spoke.

Myrrha instantly found himself attempting to pull out of the man's grasp. His eyes had the same slightly manic look in them from when he had first grabbed at him in that cell, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep himself from panicking.

Raza's grip was painfully tight, same as that first night, and once again he leered in the child's face with that terrifying mouth full of teeth.

"You wouldn't…" began Myrrha, but it was so obvious that _yes he would_. The boy clenched his teeth and looked away, closing his eyes and refusing to acknowledge the man.

"I won't do it."

Every inch a proud, stubborn, beautiful royal. Raza grinned.

And bit down on the arm he still gripped tight with his right hand.

The bite caught the silver prince completely off guard, and those huge eyes flew open in panic. He hadn't been able to hold in a cry from the sudden shock, instantly attempting to yank his arm away, which only caused the pain to intensify. And the longer those teeth were in his arm, the deeper they sunk in, and he couldn't rip his arm away or they would just _tear_…

Raza's shark teeth punctured deeply into the prince's skin. The blood was already flowing freely and starting to run down his arm.

Why did these monsters insist on making him _bleed _so damn much?

"S-stop. Let _go _of m-me," he managed to get out through the pain, actually pleading at this point.

If… if Raza bit down any deeper… if he pulled… Myrrha didn't want to lose his arm!

No, no. He wouldn't dare. That would ruin Raza's plan. The wily shark +anima would never risk that. All he was trying to do was scare him.

The pain was making him lightheaded now, but he somehow forced himself to look back up at Raza, a weak glare in his eyes, but a glare none the less.

"Never… never gonna listen to you!" he hissed, his voice still greatly strained.

Raza only watched on in amusement, before finally letting go of the boy when it seemed like he was on the brink of passing out yet again. Almost casually, he spat Myrrha's blood out into a handkerchief, then cleaned his mouth out with a flask of water he carried around at his waist. Only after he was presentable again did he speak.

"So very stubborn," he said, but it hardly sounded like a complaint. Instead the black haired man seemed to be relishing the fight the young prince so fiercely put up.

"How lovely it will be to watch you break."

Myrrha looked up at him weakly, grasping his arm where the string of puncture wounds were in an attempt to slow the bleeding.

Raza was wrong. That wasn't going to happen. He wasn't going to let these beasts break him. He was stronger than that. He was…

The silver prince barely noticed as Raza started to walk away, finding a small basket Myrrha hadn't noticed before and dropping it in front of him. Glancing at it he saw through his slightly blurred vision a few roles of bandages arranged haphazardly inside, jostled slightly by the way the older man carelessly let it fall.

"There's a supply of food and water in the dresser behind you. I'd recommend using it to get a bit of your strength back," he said casually, as if the sadistic way he'd just _bit _the boy had never happened.

Myrrha didn't make any move to acknowledge him, instead just staring at the bandages while he worked up the strength to let go of his arm and use those to stop the bleeding instead of his hand.

He didn't even look up when he finally heard the door open and then close once again. The prince couldn't help but be thankful at being alone once more, taking a deep breath and grabbing at one of the rolls.

His hand was covered in blood, instantly starting to stain the white fabric-like material red, but he didn't bother to care. Quickly and much less professionally than whoever had bandaged him up before, he wrapped the cuts until he no longer saw anymore blood leaking out. Tearing the end of the wrap he tied it into a quick knot to keep it in place, feeling like he was all but about to pass out once he was finally done.

Slowly managing to scoot himself to a wall, he leaned against it and closed his eyes, desperately trying to keep that from happening again. His head was so dizzy he felt like he was about to throw up, but some part of him still stubborn enough to insist on thinking clearly knew that he needed to get some sort of nutrients in his system. Or just water. His mouth and throat were terrifically dry, almost painfully so. When was the last time he'd even drank anything…?

Ignoring the wave of nausea that ran through him, he looked around the room for the dresser that Raza had mentioned. He still didn't trust them to keep from drugging him again, but right now he was willing to risk it.

Very slowly he made his way over, before finally pulling the drawer open and grabbing a small canteen inside. He ignored the food for now, taking a very tentative sip of the water. A sip which quickly turned into a greedy chugging, even as his stomach churned at having something enter it again.

And so Myrrha guzzled about two canteens before his still weak body finally caved and he passed out where he sat.

* * *

><p>The next day prince Myrrha found himself still locked away in that same room. He'd woken slumped in front of the dresser with the food and water, and had helped himself to another canteen and even dared to carefully eat some of the fruit that had been stashed there as well. His stomach felt better than yesterday, and he no longer felt that desperate need to drink as much as he could pour down his throat.<p>

Then Fatin had come in, immediately grabbed his wrists before he could even say anything to her, and bound them in front of him again. She lifted him up, plopped him down on the table, and stepped back to appraise him.

And so he sat on the table, hands once again painfully bound in front of him, glaring daggers at the hooded woman with the huge +anima wings on display.

Fatin's cold grey eyes meticulously inspected him, although Myrrha had yet to figure out why. Suddenly she broke her scrutinizing gaze, her eyes darting upward to meet his own, and the prince tried to pretend that it hadn't caused him to flinch.

He was still… recovering from what had happened the other day. It would be a long time before he could look at Fatin's face and _not _think about her taunting him about his father's… remains.

"You'll certainly look the part, once we get you some new clothes, but we can't have you talking," she said at last, the first time she'd actually spoken since she'd come into the room. But once again it seemed to be more to herself than to the silver child in front of her.

"Can't have me talking about what? How absolutely insane all of you are?" he grumbled rebelliously, his voice having steadied back to normal now that he was starting to heal slightly.

The winged woman didn't even twitch at the insult, seeming much more preoccupied with trying to figure out an answer to whatever problem she'd found in him.

"Of course, we can't say that you've gone mute either. Too easily uncovered and suspicious, not to mention that bothersome Kazana had already heard you speaking before," she mused to herself.

Myrrha growled at her, the frustration of being ignored increasing the longer she kept at it.

A small smirk made its way onto Fatin's face. Reaching out, she gently ran one of her talon tipped fingers across his throat. Nowhere near hard enough to actually cut him, but very effectively causing a shudder of fear to run down the prince's spine.

But surely she wouldn't go to _those _lengths to keep him from speaking… right? Surely Raza or Taj would argue against something so damaging to their puppet…? Hadn't she just said they _couldn't _make him mute, right?

Beneath her talon, his pulse started racing in panic.

"The rumors about you are spreading through the country like wildfire. What _horrible _abuse must have befell the poor +anima prince," she said smoothly, actually appearing to address him this time. "The only thing we really need to worry about is you making a mistake during a public showing."

She eyed him for a minute, then smirked and lowered her talon, coming to a decision.

"All of that torture caused you to be unable to raise your voice for very long," she said decisively. "We can work with that."

Myrrha glared even harder at her. They _still _didn't seemed to understand that he would not go along with their plan. The way they continued to sort out all the little details was slightly unnerving, but he managed to keep himself from showing it.

"I _wasn't _abused! Like you could even keep me quiet anyway!" he yelled, although he doubted she would actually listen to him.

As he'd expected, Fatin ignored his outburst completely. She didn't even look his way as she turned around, heading out of the room without another word. No doubt going to tell the others about her new little plan for him. An extra measure to make sure that their little puppet plan wasn't found out.

Glaring after her, wrists still bound together, Myrrha flung himself back to lay on the table, a loud groan of frustration and anger erupting from him.

* * *

><p>The silver prince struggled as Taj pulled him along by the rope around his wrists later that same day. The young adult was clearly getting annoyed with Myrrha, yanking him roughly down the hallway. Even as mild as Taj seemed, in comparison to the others anyway, a young revolutionary could only take so much sass from a royal brat.<p>

It hadn't helped that the first thing Myrrha had done on Taj's entering the room had been to bite the lizard +anima's tail, with full fighting +anima fangs at that. A bit of revenge from what Raza had done to him yesterday – now that the sting wasn't so painful, he was just plain _angry _over being 'punished' like that.

Eventually the two found themselves in another room. Taj quickly locked the door behind them.

For once, it was actually a place that the boy slightly recognized. Sure, everything in it seemed to be torn up beyond repair, and there were brownish red stains that made Myrrha's stomach flip, but underneath all of that the old use for the room could still be seen.

"Why'd the hell did you bring me to one of the laundry rooms?" he asked irritably. Sure, he'd yet to get a new shirt since Keane's old one had been destroyed by Ilham, but most of his chest was still covered in bandages anyway. Not to mention, it didn't look like any of the clothes that were left in here were salvageable at all.

Taj yanked on the rope again, tying it around the doorknob so that the silver prince couldn't attempt to run away and he'd be able to have his hands free.

"You're supposed to look like a great king, princey. You can't go around with bloody pants and no shirt or shoes," he said, which only caused Myrrha to roll his eyes.

So they really were here for freaking _clothes _of all things. They seriously had complete control of the country now, and they were looking through the torn up scraps of what was destroyed during the attack for something for him to wear?

"Everything in here's been torn to shreds. If you _do _find something that wasn't, it's probably covered in blood or something like that," he said, watching as the lizard +anima walked over to a large wardrobe that had several of the drawers knocked out.

"You think I don't know that? We're not here for these rags," he said, lightly kicking at a pile of fabric on the floor. Opening one of the drawers that was still attached, Myrrha watched as he pulled out a neatly folded outfit. He couldn't see what it looked like yet, just that it seemed to be mainly blue, and brand new.

"This is what you'll be wearing," he finished, placing the pile in the prince's bound arms, and actually seeming quite proud of himself for his 'discovery' of something appropriate.

Myrrha didn't even look down at it, just glaring up at the young revolutionary as he stared right back down at him.

"Well?" Taj asked after a moment. "Put it on," he demanded, only causing the silver prince to roll his eyes once again.

"First of all, how in the world am I supposed to get dressed when my hands are _tied together_? And secondly, I'm not changing with you in here!" he told Taj angrily.

The reptilian man didn't seem to care much about his latter point, but did grimace slightly realizing his other mistake. Reluctantly he untied the boy's hands, and to Myrrha's surprise actually starting towards the door afterwards.

"You better be wearing that when I come back in here, or I'll put it on you myself, got it?" he said, before shutting the door behind him.

Myrrha very quickly heard the click of the lock, and sighed in annoyance as he turned to actually look at the clothes in his hands. It was a shirt and pair of long pants. The shirt's sleeves were long and very flowing, and would have no doubt easily covered the cuts and gashes all along his arms. The whole thing was made out of a shimmery blue silk, golden threads creating beautiful whirling designs throughout it. The pants were a slightly darker shade, and fanned out at the bottom.

A puppet king. A pretty little +anima royal for the masses to idolize.

_NEVER._

Glaring at the 'gift' Myrrha let the pants drop to the floor, gripping the collar of the clearly expensive shirt in both hands, before pulling as hard as he could. The fine silk ripped apart with ease, and the prince quickly tore the elegant sleeves off of the two halves next. Picking the pants back up, he angrily transformed it into scraps as well, before kicking repeatedly at the shredded pile at his feet.

No way in _hell _was he going to be some good little dress up doll!

"Done," he called out afterwards, not able to keep a mocking tone from his voice.

He watched, glaring fiercely, as the door opened quickly, Taj sliding in and locking it again before Myrrha had any chance to attempt to slip past.

The lizard +anima stared at him in confusion for a moment, clearly surprised to find him not wearing the new outfit as he'd been expecting. Looking the prince's still seething frame over, Taj quickly caught sight of the shredded clothes lying at the boy's feet.

"You little brat," the young revolutionary growled, not bothering with the rope this time. Instead, he reached out faster than Myrrha could attempt to dodge and grabbed a fist full of the boy's hair, painfully starting to drag the prince along after him. "And here I was trying to be _nice_!"

"Ah! Let go of me! Ouch! Damn it! Let me go!" Myrrha screeched, desperately attempting to claw at the older +anima with his finger nails. It did nothing to his tough scales though, and Taj just continued to roughly yank him down the hall to the room he'd first retrieved him from.

Once the two finally reached the correct door Myrrha was thrown inside, instantly starting to rub his now freed scalp.

"Just _try _something like that again, ya royal brat! Raza isn't the only one of us you should be afraid of," the revolutionary growled, before slamming the door behind him and locking it once again.

Myrrha glared at the door as he continued to massage his head. What Taj had said finally clicked in his mind, and he slowly lowered his hand.

He wasn't _that _afraid of Raza. It wasn't something so noticeable that a fool like Taj could see it. He just… didn't like all those teeth. Yeah.

Wincing, he started to rub the sore spot once again.

He wasn't afraid of any of them.

The silver prince tried to pretend that wasn't a complete and utter lie.

* * *

><p>No one had bothered to come and check on him for the rest of the day after that. The next morning however Myrrha was half asleep when the door opened, and before he could even focus enough to see who it was the prince felt himself being lifted up and slung over someone's shoulder.<p>

"Put me down!" he demanded loudly, instantly starting beating at the muscular man's back. It didn't seem to faze him at all though, and Ilham chuckled as he started out of the room with the boy in tow.

"Cut it, princess. You should be glad you're actually getting to leave that room," he told Myrrha. The boy just started to bang and kick at him even harder, absolutely seething from the insult.

"I am not a girl!" he yelled, "Put me down this _instant_! I'm not going anywhere with you!" Myrrha didn't even have any idea where he was being taken, but he knew that if it was with any of these beasts he didn't want to go one bit.

Ilham didn't even respond this time, just continuing down the hall before finally stopping in one of the rooms. The prince grabbed at the doorframe as the tiger +anima made his way through, but Ilham managed to yank his grip loose long enough to shut the door behind them and lock it.

It was only then that he allowed the prince to drop roughly to the floor, ignoring the string of curses muttered under the boy's breath.

"What is it that _you _want with me now?" Myrrha asked irritably after a moment, looking around the room to quickly notice it was the same one they had fought in. The other three weren't here though, and he had no idea what the famous war leader would want with him alone.

Ilham sat down at one of the seats of the long table, but the silver boy didn't go to join him. Instead, he just stood up, arms crossed and glaring daggers at the large man from across the room.

"Your coronation as king will happen in two weeks. You'll speak the first two lines of a speech we've prepared for you to the crowd, but _only _the first two lines. _I _will be there to finish the rest on your… behalf," Ilham explained.

Myrrha's eyes widened slightly in his shock, but he managed to pull himself together quickly enough to force himself to shake his head.

"I've already told you people! I'm _not _going along with this plan! I'll _never _do what you want!" he yelled, fist balled up in anger and looking like he was considering actually attacking the tiger-like man. He wasn't an idiot though, and reluctantly accepted the fact that, unarmed as he was now, there was no way for him to fight this beast.

"I already said, I'll be there to make sure you don't mess this up. If you want to die, just go ahead and disobey us. There's _no _loss on our side," he told Myrrha gruffly, his tone condescending and confident.

There really wouldn't be a loss for them if they had to kill the prince, and it took quite a bit for Myrrha to keep the fear that fact struck in him hidden.

"Why would anyone even want to follow me anyway?" he yelled, desperation in his voice. "This plan is stupid and you _were _the only one to actually see that! I may be a +anima, but I'm still a royal! There's no way that the people would be happy with someone like me on the throne!" He wasn't sure what he was doing, but Ilham seemed to be the only one who could possibly be swayed against this, since he wasn't even for it in the first place.

"I thought so too, but you'd be surprised how idealized your story has already become to the people. The little +anima prince, struggling to fight for the revolution from the inside, tortured and tormented by those royals, but can now finally bring about the good for this country that he's wanted all along," Ilham said, sneering slightly once he was finished. "Oh, didn't we tell you? Somehow you've become a hero of the revolution, without even lifting a finger. I believe the current story is you were the one that fed us intel on how to capture the palace." He smirked at the enraged look on Myrrha's face.

"The idiotic public will believe anything."

"You can't make me!" Myrrha yelled, although he was starting to become aware of how untrue that really was. But they would never be able to make him give a speech praising the revolution that slaughtered his family! Even if it was just two lines!

Ilham had gotten up out of his seat now, a deep frown on his face as he started towards the defiant child. Apparently this speech was _not _something he considered remotely negotiable.

Myrrha tried to look firm, even as he trembled as memories of their last fight flashed through his mind – and this time he didn't have a staff to guard himself. But he would _not _go along with this. He refused. He was stronger than that.

They could kill him for all he cared. They were going to eventually after all, so what did it even matter? He wasn't weak and he would _not _let them win!

Ilham lunged.

Myrrha attempted to dodge the large +anima's claws, but, mainly because of his injuries from their last fight, wasn't fast enough. The boy was almost effortlessly flung across the room, slamming painfully into the wall.

Ilham came stalking to where the boy was crumbled. This time he kicked Myrrha roughly in his still healing side, causing him to gasp for air, feeling the deep slash open once again and stain his bandages red.

They could kill him. He didn't care. He didn't have anything left to live for anymore anyway. It didn't matter.

His home was destroyed. His mother was dead. His father was dead. All his brothers and sisters and relatives were dead. But… But…

"No!" he yelled finally as Ilham came towards him for a third time, claws raised high for another brutal swipe.

The tiger +anima stopped where he was, a triumphant smirk on his battle worn face at the sight of the child, fear shining in his eyes as he clutched at his now bleeding side, pressing himself against the wall in an attempt to get as far as possible from the warrior and all the pain and suffering he represented.

"N-no…" he repeated, shaking his head, eyes closed.

It wasn't fair, these monsters wouldn't let up at all. He didn't want them to win. If he died, then at the very least he managed to keep Raza from doing that stupid plan of his. All his family was dead anyway. There was no-one…. No-one…

He couldn't though. H-he didn't… He didn't want to die.

He didn't want to die, but any one of these beasts would kill him in an instant. The _only _way he would live, at least for now, was if he went along with their plan.

That didn't mean they had won yet though, and he sure as hell wasn't going to make this easy for them. He'd play their game, but only until he figured out his next step.

Opening his eyes again, he glared straight up at the mammoth of a man towering over him. Letting go of his side, he quickly pushed himself off the ground, standing up tall and stalking right up to Ilham, actually forcing the man to take a step back so that he could look at him properly.

"I'm not going to let you kill me," he said firmly, managing to sound proud and strong despite the pain. Despite the fact that his next words felt like acid in his throat, a temporary victory for the ones causing him so much torment.

"I'll let you crown me king, but you monsters will _never _control me," he spat.

Ilham smirked down at the proud child, somehow managing to keep all of his dignity even as they broke him apart piece by piece.

He didn't even realize just how perfect of a puppet he really was.

* * *

><p>Oh Husky, you just don't even know. Well, hoped everyone liked the chapter, it's a tiny bit discouraging since I love this story so much that it hasn't been getting as much attention as my other +anima fics. Anyway, I promise to have the next chapter out much quicker this time around, so thanks for reading and as always please review.<p> 


	10. Interlude 2: Street Rat

Hello everybody. I have a few things to say before we start the chapter. First of all, yes, another interlude. There's going to be one every five chapters, although they're all pretty important to the plot, so don't worry about that. Also, the boy this is centered on is _not _an OC. Let's see if you can guess who he is~

Oh, and lastly, if any of you read the awesome story by my beta reader Kay Hau, '+Anima meets Teen Titans' then you should know that she started this really cool spin off story for it, entitled 'Divergence'. Since I doubt people go into that section on a regular basis, I just wanted to help her get the word out, since it's a totally awesome story so far. You should all go read it once you're finished reading and reviewing here ;)

Interlude 2 - Street Rat

"Get the hell out of here, you urchin!"

A young boy couldn't hold back a yelp in fright as the street vender threw a rather large sized rock at him. Very effectively it sent him scurrying away from the cart he'd been pathetically attempting to steal some food from. Once safely out of reach, the vender not bothering to give chase after the grime covered child, he skidded to a halt. Inside one of the many side alleys that made the outskirts of the capital city feel like an endless maze, he leaned up against one of the walls to catch his breath.

"Damn it… why is this so hard?" he muttered to the empty street, pulling a slightly worn wrap around his head farther down. It might have been a brilliant shade of purple at one time, but had faded to a dirt and dried blood covered grey. The only thing it seemed useful for doing now was concealing the thick and curly brown hair underneath.

Sighing in aggravation, the boy desperately tried to keep himself from just giving up then and there. Living on the streets was _not _something he was used to. Being called an urchin and having adults throw rocks at him, even less so. It wasn't like he had much of a choice anymore though. There wasn't anywhere else for him to go.

Pushing himself off of the wall, he started walking down the alley, no actual destination in mind. He just needed to find some way to get some food. It'd been nearly two days since he last ate anything. That meal hadn't exactly been the most substantial thing in the world either. So far off from what he would eat before this whole mess started.

Once again he tugged at the cloth almost instinctively, keeping his head down as he went. No one looked twice at the filthy street rat of a child however. Not even if they happened to notice the distinctive black markings on each of his hands, a clear brand for the world to see exactly what he really was.

A +anima. It still left him quivering on the inside whenever he thought about it. He quickly shook his head to keep himself from falling into the unpleasant memories.

Maybe it didn't quite leave him quivering _only _on the inside.

He couldn't let himself think about any of that right now though. He still needed to find something to eat, and then hopefully another place to sleep for the night. He probably wouldn't be able to find his way back to the shop with the porch he'd slept under the night before, but that wasn't too important. Even if he could, he didn't want to stay in the same place two nights in a row anyway. Staying in the same place only made it more likely that the owner would end up seeing him and chasing him off, just like the vender had.

He just had to try take things one day at a time, and maybe he'd be able to get a hang of this after a while. At the very least, in his state no one would ever suspect that he really was -

"A +anima prince, I'm telling you! They say he was saved during the capture of the palace!"

The boy jerked to a stop at what he'd overheard from the other side of the street, ears he wished weren't quite so sensitive flicking. He wasn't entirely sure when he'd come out onto a more main road instead of the alleys he'd been on before, but didn't bother to think about that as he started over to the two people carelessly chatting.

"That's crazy! You're serious?" the other man asked the first, who nodded excitedly. The brunette could tell that he was about to go on, but wasn't quite willing to sit back and listen.

His mind was easily going a mile a minute, desperately hoping that was he'd clearly heard was somehow wrong. A +anima prince. That just _had _to be wrong. The entire monarchy had been killed in the revolution. If they did keep one of the princes alive, he doubted they had his best interest in mind. So what had they meant by 'saved'?

There was no way they'd ever keep a prince alive to begin with, right?

And, besides, the only +anima prince he knew of was…

"What did you say?" he interrupted, not quite able to hide the frantic urgency in his voice.

The two adults looked him over, clearly surprised by the disruption from a street boy. The first man spotted the black markings on the boy's hands, and he nodded in understanding of why the urchin would want to know. The boy didn't bother to hide them, as all +anima paraded about freely since _that time_. He nervously toyed with the knot in his shawl as he waited for an answer.

"Yeah, when the palace was taken over, one of the princes they found was apparently a +anima. From what I've heard, he's working with the revolution to help set up the new government," he explained.

The brunette +anima stood gaping at them, just barely able to recover enough from the shock to speak.

No way... there was just no way…

He… He would never...!

"But all the royals were killed during the seize! Why would they let him live?" he asked, to which both men gave him an odd look. By now, the other had also noticed the markings on his nervous hands, as well as the fact that he wasn't wearing a collar. They glanced at each other for a second before looking back at the child.

"Didn't you hear me? He's a +anima. He knows firsthand how dreadful those monsters all were, why they all needed to die. He's on _our _side," he explained to the boy, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Maybe he was even secretly helping out the revolution all along!"

With barely hidden reluctance the boy managed to nod, almost unable to comprehend what he'd just been told.

"O-oh. Right. Thank you," he mumbled, not able to keep himself from stuttering or his voice from cracking. Keeping his eyes down, he immediately started away from the two without another word. The adults watched him go for a few seconds before shrugging off the strange happening and continuing on with their conversation.

Once again the brunette pulled the fabric wrap forward instinctively as it had started to inch back ever so slightly from the speed he ran along at. He didn't even know where he was running to. He didn't have anywhere to go, but he just… he just needed to be alone, so that he could think without any distractions. Try to figure out the meaning behind whatever it was he'd just been told.

Eventually, he found himself panting and exhausted alone behind one of the older rundown buildings on the outskirts of the city. There wasn't anyone here to bother him, just rotting wooden boxes and trash.

One of the princes had been spared. He was even helping them now. He had maybe been helping them all along. The very people who had killed every other royal, had slaughtered t-that prince's _family _without a second thought... he was _helping_! Planning out the future of the country, setting up a new government, no doubt gaining much more power and respect than any +anima, let alone a disgraced transformed royal, would have ever had under the old system.

They let him live just because he was a +anima. Because he was on _their side_.

A strangled cry of frustration and anger erupted from the boy, who lashed out blindly at one of the musty old boxes. It didn't simply fall to the ground though, instead slashing open and splintering all over the place where he'd hit it.

When he pulled away from the crate, each finger was tipped in thin, needle sharp claws. Brown fur, a lighter shade than his hair, covered the rest of his hand and about halfway up his arm. His other hand was the same as well, but now balled up in a very tight fist, which quickly managed to pierce through his skin and bleed slightly. He didn't even notice, instead glaring down at the shattered remains of the wooden box as if it had personally destroyed everything he'd ever cared about.

Breathing heavily, he kicked out at the shattered old box this time, ignoring the pain and wood shards getting lodged in his bare foot.

He also stubbornly ignored the watery sheen glazing over both his eyes, as well as the fact that his headscarf had fallen down around his shoulders, revealing rounded ears with the same light brown fur as his arms on either side of his head.

A _+anima _prince… He was practically trembling from the rage coursing throughout his body. Someone who turned a blind eye to the fact that the people he was working with and supporting were _murderers_, just so he could get a little bit of power.

A _traitor_.

He dropped to the ground, not caring about the dirt or pieces of splintered wood, unable to stop a few of the hot tears from leaking past his eyes. He didn't make any move to try to wipe them away. They weren't tears of sadness. He was well past being sad. They were tears of overwhelming emotion, of unbridled fury.

Clawing at the compact dirt, he glared up at the skyline. It was barely visible from where he was so far in the outskirts of the town, but he could just manage to make out the familiar outline of the palace in the late afternoon sky through his tears.

The +anima prince, the traitor, _Myrrha_, was in there.

The little brat he'd once called Husky. The quitter who'd tried to kill himself, whose own damn fault it was that he'd turned into a +anima in the first place! The one who'd once had the king himself eating out of his tiny hands, who'd shined as brightly as any star, but crashed and burned when the stress became too much.

To think he'd actually once _liked _that disgusting traitor! That _monster_! Had felt _pity _for him, even!

That _Myrrha _would side with someone that killed, not just their father, not just their brothers and sisters, but their _mothers_. If there was one person he could've sworn Myrrha loved, it was his mother, Queen Marein. Guess that love wasn't as strong as the traitor's yearning for the crown. An ambition the brat had once insisted meant nothing to him.

Liar.

A twisted smile, fueled by the same rage as his tears morphed onto his young face. It looked horribly out of place, the smile of one who'd had the world ripped from him starting to crack plastered on a boy not a day older than fourteen.

He'd been at a loss for what to do with himself since the attack, simply struggling on the streets like a common urchin. Just trying to take it one day at a time. A new sense of purpose surged out through him now though, a single goal hanging in front of the child like a beacon of rightful justice. Of revenge.

He was going to _kill _that traitorous little half-brother of his if it was the last thing he ever did.

* * *

><p>So, did you figure it out? Haha, probably wasn't very hard, especially with my track record. I just have to say though, yes, that does say brown hair, and no it's not a typo. All shall be explained in upcoming chapters.<p>

Well, I hope you liked this chapter, and as always, please review and let me know what you think.


	11. Coronation of a King

Hello everyone, it's time for a new chapter. I'm excited, since I feel like the story is really going to get on a roll after this. Or during this. I don't know, I've been excited with this story from the beginning. Once again, the amazing Kay Hau beta'd this.

Chapter 9- Coronation of a King

Prince Myrrha sat with his hands bound together, something they almost always seemed to be nowadays. It was so much that his wrists would have never have had time to heal if Taj hadn't bandaged them a few days ago. Even still, the prince was almost certain that it would leave scars. The monsters didn't care at all though. Scars on his wrists wouldn't distract from his 'beauty,' they said, and even still could be covered easily enough.

He was glaring daggers at one of those monsters now. Of course, Fatin wasn't even looking at him, instead reading over a few papers in her hand that were no doubt connected to his upcoming coronation. It'd been nearly two weeks already; the ceremony was tomorrow.

He'd managed to notice several things about his captors in these last two weeks. Fatin _always _tied him up, for instance. Even if she wasn't planning on taking him out of the room, it was the first thing she did whenever she came in, not letting the prince have even an ounce of freedom.

In contrast, Ilham never bothered with a rope, just slinging the slender child over his shoulder whenever he needed to take him somewhere. Apparently the constant kicking and punching from Myrrha didn't bother him at all.

Meanwhile, Taj and Raza were somewhere in between, both leaving him unbound if they weren't planning on moving him. Taj however would always tie him up if they were going to a separate part of the palace, while Raza only would if where they were going was far away.

Myrrha had seethed at the mocking way the shark +anima would allow him to walk around 'freely' as if there was absolutely no way he could escape them. It made him feel even worse that he had a right to be so confident. The silver prince had tried to run off the first time. He still shuddered on the inside at the speed and ease at which Raza had managed to catch him, immediately punishing the boy afterwards.

He had no doubt that _those _were probably going to scar too.

Fatin stood up without any warning, quickly pulling the boy out of his thoughts as he took to focusing his attention solely on her again.

"You've memorized the lines for the speech tomorrow?" she asked, finally turning to look at the silver haired boy.

Myrrha nodded, rolling his eyes as he did so. It still made him feel sick that he needed to do this, but he didn't have any other choice. They hadn't even let him see the rest of the speech besides the two lines he was supposed to say, so he had no clue what in the world 'he' supposedly wrote.

"It's not like I had anything else to do with my time," he grumbled, not that Fatin cared at all whether or not he was _bored _of all things. Instead the woman just nodded absently, glancing down at the papers once again.

Myrrha still had no idea how they'd managed to convince the country that it'd be a good idea to put one of the royals they'd just overthrown back onto the throne, but apparently they had. They wouldn't bother with all these preparations for an elaborate coronation ceremony otherwise. Not when they so obviously still despised his heritage.

Nodding at Myrrha's response, she reached out and grabbed the rope around his wrists. Before he could react, she started to drag him along behind her without a word. Myrrha snarled at the hooded woman, one of her wings carelessly smacking him across the face when she turned towards the door.

"Where are we going _now_?" he demanded, sounding a combination of angry and just fed up with all of this.

As he knew she would, Fatin completely ignored him. While the other three would mock and tease and taunt him, if she didn't want to tell him something, he might as well be talking to a wall. Myrrha was sure she was perfectly aware of how much it pissed him off, too.

Seemingly at random Fatin stopped outside of a room, taking one end of the rope and tying it tightly around the doorknob. Myrrha instantly started to pull, seeing if maybe the rope would come loose, or at the very least if the door would open. Neither seemed to be the case though, and he was pretty sure that the door was probably locked.

"Ilham will be out in a few moments to deal with you. Stay here," she ordered, causing the silver boy to roll his eyes once again. As if he could even try to go anywhere like this.

Without another glance at the boy Fatin started down the hallway, until eventually disappearing from Myrrha's sight. Just _leaving _him there. So confident that he couldn't work his way out of a rope of all things. That he wasn't a threat in the slightest. Yanking once again, the silver prince practically growled when it didn't budge an inch.

Angrily, he plopped to the floor and let his fish anima transform his body. It was always a bit awkward out of water, but he hadn't figured out how to get his fangs otherwise – though it must be possible, since he still hadn't even seen Raza in full shark +anima form.

Leaning against the door, he raised the rope to his razor sharp teeth and started sawing at the rope. It was worth a shot, and even though he knew he'd get caught, it was worth it to just _know _he was still fighting the monsters.

"What do you _mean _you couldn't find him?"

The gruff voice yelling on the other side of the door distracted the silver boy. He instantly identified it as Ilham's, apparently yelling at some poor sap who hadn't been able to do his job correctly. Giving up in his attempts to gnaw his way out of the rope, he pushed his ear to the door, instead deciding to listen in on the two.

He doubted it would be anything useful, but Ilham might not know that he was there yet. They had been very careful to keep Myrrha away from any actual military or political information thus far, so this would be interesting, at the very least.

"I've gone through all the reports. As far as I can tell, his death was never confirmed, sir," Myrrha blinked slightly in surprise, recognizing the younger voice. That fool Kazana who had captured him during the attack.

Instinctively he allowed his anima to fade away and pressed himself even closer to the door, trying to figure just what they were talking about. Whose death hadn't been confirmed? For such concern over confirming a death, surely they must be speaking of someone from the palace, maybe even… someone of the royal family?

"Do you have _any _idea how dangerous it would be if he's still alive?" Ilham asked, the anger in his voice very clear. Myrrha was a bit surprised when Kazana answered, not sounding fearful of the intimidating man at all.

"There's no way he could have lived. We had all of the exits secured, as well as all of the main secret tunnels, and even if he did _somehow _get out, someone would have recognized that red hair. The old Crown Prince would have been killed within the hour," the teen argued reasonably.

On the other side of the door Myrrha gasped softly under his breath, huge eyes widening in surprise. For a good few seconds, his world completely froze.

Red hair. Crown Prince.

They were talking about Keane.

The silver boy started shivering, remembering the way they had dressed him up in his half-brother's old clothes, how very certain he had been that he, that _everyone _had been killed. That… that might not have been the case though…

The incredible odds that Kazana had placed against Keane's survival were quickly pushed to the back of his head. There was a _chance_, and that was all he needed at the moment. Just the idea that maybe, somehow, he wasn't completely alone.

That he still had a _brother. Family_.

"That had better be the case, he's the _last _one we need to still be out there!" Ilham's gruff voice knocked Myrrha out of his shock. The silver-haired prince pressed his ear against the door once again, straining to hear anything more.

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor alerted the silver boy to the fact that someone had stood up. "I don't want this getting out to _anyone_, got it? As far as it's concerned, that boy was killed along with the rest of them. We do _not _need to give anyone who supported the royals someone to rally behind!" Ilham ordered.

"Yes, Ilham," Kazana replied obediently.

Listening Myrrha could just hear the sound of Kazana's strange, clicking walk from his talons start to fade away, then the sound of a door opening and closing, probably to the opposite hall from the one Myrrha sat in. The boy listened in to what sounding like muffled grumbling and cursing, with the soft footsteps of Ilham pacing back and forth. Suddenly the man swore aloud and it sounded like he was coming directly towards the door Myrrha was still roped to.

Quickly, the silver boy made sure to back away from the door. Less than two seconds afterwards the door swung open roughly, just barely missing him.

Looking down, Ilham smirked at the peeved expression on the prince's face from nearly being hit. The huge man didn't bother to untie the rope, instead cutting it off of the doorknob with one of his claws, not even noticing the frayed section the boy had tried to gnaw through. Myrrha's wrists were still bound together, so he wasn't able to punch at the man like he normally did when the huge tiger +anima lifted him effortlessly over his shoulder.

"So, is our little prince excited for his big day tomorrow?" Ilham mocked, causing Myrrha to see if there was some way he could twist around and bite the man. Much to his annoyance, he couldn't.

"Burn in hell," he spat instead, ignoring the way Ilham simply chuckled at his anger.

Myrrha wondered slightly if he should bring up the overheard conversation. To get a chance to actually mock the monster instead of the other way around for once. That he'd managed to miss _Keane _of all people.

The freaking Crown Prince, who should have been one of the first people targeted along with the king! Who was such a spaz that he once let out that his biggest fear was _ghosts_. Who Myrrha, someone three years younger, could beat in a fight. They'd somehow let _this _kid get away? It was almost laughable!

Despite this, he found himself staying silent as Ilham carried him along. It would probably be so easy, not to mention satisfying, to enrage the general with his possible failure. But what if…

What if Keane really _was _alive?

Keane. The idiot, the fool, who had been so terrifically jealous, such an incredible _bully _before Myrrha had transformed. Had taunted him for looking like a girl, for having a terrible accent and strange, husky voice, for being so small and delicate next to the other princes. The little ringleader of a group that Myrrha had dreaded catching sight of, knowing it would end in a scuffle with himself at the bottom of the pile.

The idiot, the fool, the _spaz _that had ran into Myrrha's supposedly _locked _room crying his eyes out after he was told the younger prince had tried to kill himself. The one who wouldn't stop apologizing for becoming Crown Prince instead of Myrrha. Who would sneak in to visit him. Every fifth day of the week, after sundown. And would stay with him for hours, even as they bickered back and forth over the stupidest stuff.

Like +anima. Like slavery. Like royalty and harems and what life was like outside the palace.

Who would never stop asking him what had really happened. As if he actually somewhat suspected foul play.

Who, honestly, would probably have surrendered to the revolution rather than fight them, had the decision been in his hands.

Myrrha found himself terrified at what Raza or Fatin would do to Keane, to _his brother_, if they found out their little puppet knew that he might be alive. How they'd hold it over his head, tormenting him far worse than anything Ilham's claws could do. That they still had more that they could, and _would_, take from him.

He could easily picture them killing Keane right in front of him. Making him watch.

No! He wasn't about to let them tear away the hope that maybe they hadn't managed to wipe out his _entire _family. Somehow, he knew that if he let slip what he'd overheard, they would launch a full scale manhunt for the once crown prince.

Keane. Keane might be _alive_. Alive!

By the time Ilham finally dropped him to the floor back in his room, the prince had decided that he wasn't going to let _anyone _find out what he'd overheard. It took all his willpower to keep his expression from showing anything but the usual defiance.

The silver prince was quickly knocked out of his thoughts when Ilham started speaking, still using that confident, condescending tone of voice that Myrrha had gotten used to.

"Your part in the coronation ceremony will be simple. I'll go out first and speak to the crowd, when I introduce you you'll come out and say your lines. You'll just need to stand there silently until I finish the rest of the speech, and then you'll be crowned," Ilham explained.

Reluctantly the silver boy nodded, his heart plummeting from its high at the reminder of the fake coronation, though his face remained cold. What he actually had to do was easy enough, but it still made him feel sick.

"You mess this up, you try _anything_, and we _will _kill you on the spot. Understand?" Ilham growled threateningly.

Glaring daggers back at the man, both out of anger and to hide the fear his words caused, the prince nodded. He had no doubt that they really would.

"I said I'd let you crown me king. You don't have to worry about that," he snapped back, causing the large man to smirk.

Even if he doubted anything these beast said was true, _he'd _said that he would be crowned king, and so he was going to. After all, he _couldn't _go against them if he wanted to live. He was only a doll, no matter what idol they were trying to make him into.

"Good kid," Ilham said mockingly, as he turned on his heel and left, shutting the door and quickly locking it behind himself. They'd learned from experience that any delay was a possible chance of having to chase after a silver haired brat.

Sitting alone once again, the silver boy sighed. Walking over to a far corner, he laid down on the floor, using his arm as a pillow and pulling a blanket up around his frame. There wasn't a bed in here, just the table and dresser. Taj had left the blanket for him a few days ago, which helped a little bit. He had only been able to tell it was night because they had passed by a few windows on the way back here, but he would've been tired anyway.

Closing his eyes, he wished that somehow he could keep the morning from coming. A puppet king. How could he let himself become a tool to those beasts?

Pulling the blanket closer, he told himself that wasn't the case. He just needed to live long enough to figure out a way out of here. He desperately clung to that thought to try to escape the screaming inside his mind at the thought of being a puppet. Escape, yes. He'd escape and try to find Keane.

Eventually he managed to fall asleep, trying to comfort himself with the fact that he might not actually be completely alone. At the very least, that spaz Keane might still be alive, and that was _a lot _more than he'd been able to say since he'd first been captured.

…

Myrrha woke up to something hard and scaly poking him in the back. Groaning, he instinctively pulled away, wrapping his blanket tighter around himself.

"Go away," he mumbled sleepily, only to hear the lizard +anima chuckle slightly and poke him in the back with his foot once again.

"No can do princey. We need to get you all ready for the big day," Taj said, poking him for a third time. Growling, Myrrha pushed himself up into a sitting position and snarled up at the young revolutionary.

"See, was that so hard?" he asked, to which the silver boy just rolled his eyes. Without any warning something was thrown over his head, which Myrrha instantly threw off in a panic only to see it was an outfit. Glaring up at the young adult in annoyance, Taj simply smirk at him once again.

"And don't go tearing this one up, got it?" he said, and reluctantly the silver prince nodded. He had a feeling that it would not be a good idea to act up today of all days.

Apparently Taj knew that as well, since he actually trusted him enough to leave the room again to let him get changed.

Since the last time they'd tried to get him to wear something, he'd only been given the simplest clothes they could find. Which ended up being quite practical, since it was a given they'd be bloodstained at the end of any given day.

Of course, he highly doubted that would be the case now, with them having to show him off to the country as their pretty little puppet. Reluctantly putting the outfit on, he was proven quite right.

The high collared shirt was a silvery grey, with a strip of light blue silk running down the center. A darker blue thread created intricate patterns on both that and strips the same color that were at the end of the long sleeves. Sapphires ran down the side of each sleeve and up his shoulders. The pants were a darker shade of grey than the shirt, and had strips of blue running down the sides the same shade as the patterned thread in his shirt.

"Finished," he called out, slightly amused by the relieved look that passed over the reptilian man's face at the sight of him. If he didn't trust him to not ruin the outfit – which really, he shouldn't – then he shouldn't have left him alone in the first place. He didn't bother to say that though, and Taj quickly started speaking anyway.

"Real pretty princey. Here," he said, handing the boy some shoes and bracelets. Myrrha glared at him, but took the items anyway. He guessed that's how they were planning to hide the still healing cuts on his wrists, and quickly slipped the thick silver circles around his wrists before putting the shoes on.

"I'm _not _pretty," he grumbled, snapping at Taj's hand when he patted him on the head. The lizard +anima was able to pull himself out of the way fast enough to avoid getting bitten, however.

Myrrha growled at him as he smirked again, tongue flickering out in amusement.

"Have a little self-confidence. You look great," he said, knowing that it would just annoy the boy even more.

"Just what are you, anyway? The team fashion designer?" Myrrha asked mockingly.

Taj didn't seem very insulted though, grinning once again as he grabbed the boy by the wrist to lead him out of the room. Apparently they weren't going to use the rope today. It'd probably look suspicious if anyone saw the new king being led around like a convict.

Thinking about it, he hadn't actually seen _anyone _but the four revolutionary leaders since the day he'd first been thrown into that room, the day they'd decided on this stupid puppet king plan. So they already were probably going through extra lengths to keep anyone from getting suspicious that their new 'king' wasn't quite legit. If someone caught sight of him being dragged down the hall, dripping blood, at the end of a rope binding his wrists together… yeah, that'd pretty much trash all Raza's plans.

"Actually Raza's the one who picked out the outfit," he said, pulling Myrrha along.

The silver boy couldn't keep himself from shuddering slightly at the mention of the other man. Of _course _he picked out his clothes. And that he'd gotten something that even the stubborn prince had to admit probably looked good on him, even going so far as to match his earrings.

Which meant, oh crap, that they'd noticed his earrings. He better be careful not to let slip that they were precious to him, since they were now his only reminder of his mother and father. If they thought the earrings were just jewelry, they probably wouldn't bother taking them.

"Where's the ceremony even taking place?" he asked, quickly changing the subject in his mind. Taj didn't even look down at him as he answered, simply tightening his grip slightly as Myrrha tried to pull away once again.

"The main balcony. It's still about an hour until we start, but there's already a huge crowd," he told the prince, who immediately stopped in his tracks, causing Taj to stumble to a stop and glare back at him.

The… The main… That's where…

"I'm not going up there!" he shouted without thinking, the fear in his voice very clear. Taj looked him over in confusion, but Myrrha wasn't about to start to explain it to him. H-he wasn't… n-not where his father had been…

With a frown, the reptilian man started to yank the now much more reluctant boy forward, even as Myrrha dug his heels in desperately and struggled to pull back.

"Yes, you are! Now's no time to be getting stage fright, kid," Taj grunted, almost unable to keep his hold on the boy when he yanked him arm once again.

"It's not _stage fright!_" Myrrha insisted, still trying to pull away. A look of realization seemed to come over Taj's face at his panicked tone, but the prince didn't notice as he continued trying to get away. "I'm not going up there! You monsters can't make me!" he yelled, close to attempting to bite Taj to get him to let go.

"Look kid -" the young revolutionary started, before someone else cutting him off caused Myrrha to freeze in his attempts to escape.

"Is our _precious _future king having a problem?" Raza asked, a calculating smirk on his face as he approached the two.

Taj let out a relieved sigh at the sight of the older man, and Myrrha tried to tell himself that he couldn't hurt him today. They needed him to look his best for the people.

"He doesn't want to go up to the balcony," the reptilian man explained, to which Raza nodded, focusing his deep blue eyes on Myrrha afterwards. The silver prince tried to pull himself together enough to glare at him, just barely managing to.

"It can't be changed now. You're not _scared_, are you?" the black haired man asked, immediately having figured out precisely why he wouldn't want to go up there.

The silver boy instantly started shaking his head though, even though he _knew _that was exactly what Raza wanted. Using his own stubbornness to get him to do what he wanted, knowing Myrrha would never do anything he saw as _weak_.

Besides, the silver prince already knew that he had to go along with the ceremony today. There really wasn't anything else he could do. Raza was right that they couldn't change where it was taking place an hour beforehand.

Myrrha reluctantly forced his body to relax, no longer fighting Taj's hold.

"Good, then how about we get moving again, shall we?" the sharp man said, and reluctantly Myrrha allowed Taj to pull him along. It wasn't long before they were in the room behind the main balcony. Curtains were drawn around the opening, so that the silver boy couldn't actually see out.

Myrrha felt his stomach flip, imagining that gruesome sight Fatin had shown him to still be out there, despite telling himself over and over again that it wasn't.

Tearing his eyes away from the curtains, he saw that Ilham was already in the room as well, but so far Fatin was nowhere to be seen. The muscular man glared down at him from across the room, obviously trying to intimidate him against trying to make a move as much as possible before the ceremony started.

On the other side of the curtain, Myrrha could hear the huge crowd of people gathering. Surely they couldn't actually be happy with this. They wouldn't want a royal on the throne again; it didn't make any sense. Wasn't that the whole _point _of the revolution?

No one said anything as they waited, although about thirty minutes later Taj left the room. The silver boy could hear the crowd getting larger and larger, until eventually Ilham started over towards the curtains in order to start the ceremony off. Raza stayed back in the room with him, standing by the door so that he couldn't even think about trying to leave.

Ilham's voice filtered in through the curtains, the large man speaking loudly in order to be heard over the crowd. Myrrha closed his eyes tightly as he tried and failed to block him out for now, still hearing the man begin to introduce himself and start going on about the war. Explaining how they'd found the +anima prince, about his 'contributions' to the revolution's cause. The reasoning for why he wouldn't be able to make a long speech, instead having to write most of it down for someone else to say.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. He told himself that over and over again, despite how untrue it really was. He'd never even wanted to be king normally, so how had this happened?

The silver boy just barely managed to bring himself to be aware of his surroundings again in order to hear Ilham announce his name, the signal for him to come out and start the act. Taking a deep breath, he quickly managed to erase any signs of fear or pain that had been plaguing him since all of this began. Not noticing the impressed smirk that passed over Raza's face as he started forward and through the curtains.

Despite himself, Myrrha couldn't help but stare in a shocked silence for a moment when he came out of the other side. The sheer amount of people there was enough to stun the child, not even taking into account the deafening cheers.

Why were they so happy? Scanning the crowd, he was able to make out many +anima there, but it still didn't make sense to him. Why didn't anyone care he was royal? Of course, as far as anyone knew he'd completely abandoned his family for the revolution. Like he'd ever do something like that.

The prince stood there in silence for almost a minute before the crowds died down enough for him to even attempt to speak. Well, it was supposed to be hard for him to speak loudly anyway; it'd make sense that he'd wait for them to quiet down enough so that they could hear.

"People of Sailand," he started, pausing slightly before continuing. He ignored the scrutinizing way Ilham watched his every move, just waiting for him to slip up, to show that he wasn't going to go along with their plan. As much as he wanted to, it'd be pointless to throw his life away right now. He just had to hurry up and get this whole thing over with.

"After all of the suffering this war has caused, it brings me great joy to finally see the end of those who imposed such cruelty on this country," he started, delivering the small speech with such a confidence that no one would imagine the sickening feeling that engulfed him with each word.

"As your new king, I promise to do everything in my power to set Sailand on a path of peace, and make sure that the tragic events that led up to this will never have to be repeated again," he declared, watching as the crowd once again started cheering wildly.

This wasn't right. He was standing in the exact same spot where they had hung up his father's remains like a trophy! Did they think he _approved _of something like that?

He could admit that his father had been wrong about a lot of things, but he would never believe that he deserved what they had done to him, and certainly not the rest of the royal family. Most of those who'd been killed had next to no political power at all. That wasn't a war, that was a _slaughter_.

Would anyone in the crowd before him ever understand that? The roar of cheering before him said otherwise.

The silver prince didn't even listen as Ilham continued whatever the rest of his supposed speech said. He didn't care that anything, _everything _they could have said would have just been lie after lie after lie. He didn't pay attention again until the speech was over, and the actual crowning started.

Turning towards Ilham, Myrrha kneeled before him. It was slightly unnecessary, since the tiger +anima was already so much taller than him, but it didn't really matter. Myrrha couldn't keep himself from glaring up at the man as he pulled out a thin silver crown and placed it on his head, the crowd once again close to deafening the boy.

Silver, which was traditionally reserved more for the queens, while the king had gold. He doubted anyone would really take any notice of that. His outfit was silver and blue, his hair was silver. It wasn't any secret that the color looked good on him, no one would ever think that it was anything but a stylistic choice. Even without Ilham smirking down at him, he knew the truth. He wasn't a _real _king. This was all just make-believe, a nice little play to amuse the public.

Standing up, Myrrha turned towards the crowd, their cheers picking up once again. It wasn't until they died down again did Ilham say a few final words before pulling the curtain back, allowing the new 'king' to retreat into the castle, the tiger +anima following after him.

It was done.

The second the curtain was back in place Myrrha tore the simple elegant crown off his head and flung it across the room. The boy couldn't help but be a bit satisfied that it nearly managed to hit Raza, who was still waiting back there, without him even aiming.

"_There! _Happy now? I went through with your damn coronation ceremony!" he spat, all of his rage quickly starting to spill over. Raza simply smirked, showing that _yes_, he was indeed very happy.

Out of the corner of his eye Myrrha caught sight of Ilham reaching out towards him, most likely to fling him over his shoulder once again and cart him back to his room. Before he was able to, the silver boy snapped towards him, actually managing to catch him off guard and sink sharp, fighting +anima teeth into his hand. He wouldn't realize until later that he'd actually managed it, for the first time, without a full transformation.

The large man didn't cry out in pain at all, instead instantly taking the boy and flinging him across the room into the wall, knocking him out cold.

* * *

><p>Yay, the start of some rather complex things in this chapter I see. If you don't yet, everything will probably start to become more apparent shortly. And Husky's officially king, now we can really start to get this ball rolling. And of course, as always thanks for reading, and please review.<p> 


	12. National Beliefs

Hey everyone. Actually managed to get a bit of time while running around California to post the next chapter. I think we're really starting to lay the ground work for the major conflicts of this story in this chapter, but I guess I'll just let you all read it and see for yourself.

Chapter 10 - National Beliefs

"Oh shoot! I'm going to be late!" a young girl exclaimed when her eyes caught sight of the clock. Quickly grabbing a hat, she pulled it over her light brown hair. Taking one last glance in the mirror, she reluctantly decided that she looked appropriate and rushed out of the small home she shared with several other +anima.

Having only recently come out of slavery, none of them would have been able to afford a place on their own. It was rather cramped at times, but it was better than having to stay out on the streets. The brunette herself had still yet to find a job, but the others were kind enough to let her stay while she searched. It helped that she made sure to take care of all of their clothes and cooking as well as any other odd jobs she could find around the house.

The others had already left a while ago, or were going to just come after work. Despite a slight hesitance, Nana allowed her bat wings to unfurl behind her and carry her towards the center of the city much faster than she could have ever hoped to run.

In reality, she really wasn't all that late, but she wanted to make sure she could get a good view of the coronation ceremony. It was all anyone had been able to talk about ever since people had heard of the +anima prince in the first place. She had no doubt that everyone in the city would try to be there.

Once the huge square in front of the palace came into view Nana couldn't help but think that she was right. It was absolutely packed, but thankfully looking up at the balcony she didn't see anyone out there yet, meaning that she hadn't missed anything yet.

Scanning the area, she tried to see if she could spot any of her housemates, but quickly decided that looking for a single person or even a group of people in a crowd like this would just take too long.

Reluctantly, the brunette decided to stay up in the air instead of looking around for a place to land. She wasn't used to having her anima out in public yet, especially without the feeling of a collar around her neck, but it was easier to see from up here anyway. She wasn't the only one with her anima out or flying either, which put her quite a bit more at ease.

Looking up at the balcony now, Nana wondered what this new king would be like. There were so many rumors about him, she didn't know what to believe! The other girls she lived with had been giggling just last night about how gorgeous they heard he was.

Okay, maybe she had been giggling about it a little bit too, but it was hard not to when listening to what people were saying! Apparently his mother had been one of the former queens who was from up north, so he had a really exotic look to him.

Nana found herself getting slightly giddy as she waited for the time to pass by trying to remember other things she heard about the future king. Everyone was saying he was a fish +anima, and had snuck them information on how to win the war.

After what seemed like forever someone came out onto the balcony, and Nana turned her full attention to listen to what it was he had to say. She immediately knew that it wasn't actually the prince, being much too old and a tiger +anima, not a fish. Quickly, she let her ears change into their bat-like form and trained them on the man so that she could hear him better.

He introduced himself as Ilham, and Nana nodded, remembering hearing about someone in the revolution by that name before. He started speaking about the prince next, confirming several things she'd heard, like how he'd been working for the revolution, as well as some nastier rumors, such as the abuse the old royals had done to him for transforming into a +anima in the first place.

Nana found herself slightly sickened when she heard that he couldn't raise his voice for very long because of this, and therefore wouldn't be able to actually say the whole speech that had been prepared.

What kind of monsters did that to someone? She knew what kind of monster, she'd been owned by someone probably more than a little similar up until not too long ago.

Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she tried to focus on the balcony and man once again. Nana found any of her previous ill thoughts melted away in excitement when he called the prince's name, eagerly staring at the curtain behind him and waiting for him to come through.

She found herself gasping in surprise once he did, cheers building up around her. She'd heard he was beautiful yes, but he almost didn't even look like a _boy_. He was so pale and slender, obvious even under the elegant flowing clothes he wore. And even from this far away, his eyes looked absolutely huge, and his hair was such a pretty color!

Finally, she managed to pull herself together enough to start cheering with the rest of the crowd. After a few moments everyone started to die down so that they could actually hear the beautiful boy speak.

"People of Sailand," he began at last, and Nana couldn't help but think that his voice sounded just as exotic as his looks. She found herself eagerly listening to each word of his speech, immediately cheering right alongside everyone else once he finished.

That man Ilham started speaking again afterwards, but Nana wasn't paying attention to him quite as much as she'd been the prince. Instead she found herself staring at Prince Myrrha, trying to take in and figure out as much as she could about the soon-to-be king as possible.

He looked really young. To think that he'd managed to fight for the revolution from the inside! She wasn't quite close enough to really get a handle on his expression, but the rest of his demeanor was strong and confident. He really did look just like a king.

Nana was pulled out of her evaluation of the boy when he turned towards the older man, kneeling down and finally being crowned. Once again everyone started cheering, and the brown haired girl found herself slightly disappointed when the king finally turned around and headed back inside of the palace.

Still smiling despite this, she quickly started away from the square and towards her small house. Her wings hurt from keeping her up for so long, and she wanted to talk to the others about their new king now!

To think that their new king was actually a +anima! And he managed to live up to every rumor she'd heard and then some. After having been in slavery for so long and then that huge war, it was so exciting.

Nana found herself giddy as she landed on the ground, deciding to walk the rest of the way. Things really were turning around for the country, and she almost couldn't believe it.

It really did seem too good to be true.

…

Cooro stared up at the palace balcony in fascination. The black winged child was sitting on Senri's shoulder's in order to get a better view, since they were quite a bit away from the center point of the ceremony. Sure, he could have always flown up to get a clearer look, but then he probably would have lost Senri in the crowd. He knew that the large teen would be okay by himself, but Kazana would always get so annoyed when they'd have to go looking for him.

"Wow, he sure is pretty! Isn't he, Senri?" the black haired boy asked him, not looking away from the pale, skinny boy all dressed up in blues and grays, his silver hair shining in the sunlight. The teen simply nodded, also staring up at the prince standing on the balcony with his one good eye.

The prince, well, about to be king, wasn't saying anything anymore, Ilham having already taken over the speech. Even without the announcement earlier as to why he couldn't make a long speech, the black winged boy already knew, having been filled in on the basics about a week ago. Cooro found himself frowning as he tried to think of what possible kind of abuse could the pretty silver boy had to have gone through to be unable to raise his voice for very long. Whatever it was had to have been horrible.

Cooro was pulled out of his thoughts when the two on the balcony above started to move again, beginning the actual crowning and officially declaring Prince Myrrha as the new king. The winged child found himself cheering along with the rest of the huge crowd. Even with the abuse King Myrrha had gone through, Cooro had no doubt that he would do a good job.

He'd heard a lot about the child since Ilham had first told him they'd saved a +anima prince the day after the strike on the palace. He was a fish +anima, for one thing, and apparently really, really smart. He was also the one who'd given them information on how to take over the palace. Of course, he hadn't known the date they planned to attack, and no one had known that _he _was the one to have given them the knowledge in the first place, which was why the young +anima prince had panicked when they finally did take over the palace.

Cooro had a feeling that he probably hadn't known they were going to _kill _everyone during the takeover either, with the way Kazana that had told him he'd been freaking out.

Leaning forwards slightly, he was able to catch one final glimpse of the prince, of the _king _before he retreated back into the palace. Kazana had said that he was pretty, but Cooro hadn't expected him to look like that! He looked more like a doll than an actual person! He could only wonder what he looked like in his +anima form…

"Well, that sure was neat!" he said excitedly, using his wings to flutter up slightly before landing softly on the ground next to the tall teen, making sure not to hit anyone with the long scythe held loosely in one hand.

Senri smiled at the boy and nodded slightly in response. Cooro was about to suggest they maybe try to go find Kazana when he noticed Senri's view lock on something behind him, and his small smile dropped.

"Senri? Something wrong?" the black winged boy asked, turning around to try and see just what it was that had caught his eye. After a second, he managed to pinpoint someone standing just outside of an alleyway. His clothes were pretty dirty, and an old looking wrap covered most of his head, making it so that Cooro wasn't able to really see much of him. Cooro did notice the black markings on the boy's clenched hands however, as well as the anger and hatred in his eyes as he stared up at the now empty balcony. He hadn't even noticed that Cooro was watching him.

Without any warning, the strange boy turned on his heels and disappeared into the alley, startling the two who'd been staring at him quite a bit.

"He… didn't look very happy, did he?" Cooro asked quietly after a moment, Senri shaking his head in agreement. The black haired boy stared at the entrance to the alley for a moment, before a smile made its way back onto his face, and he quickly turned to hand the teen his scythe.

"Watch this for me Senri? I wanna go see something," he asked excitedly, smile dropping at the slight frown Senri gave him, shaking his head ever so slightly.

"Don't worry! I'll be fine, I promise!" Cooro insisted, and reluctantly the silent teen gave in and took the scythe from him. Smiling brightly, Cooro thanked him and turned around, starting down the alley that the strange boy had ran down. He couldn't have gotten very far, and the black haired boy tried to focus on tracking his anima. A special talent unique to the Angel of Death, and one that had gotten him quite a reputation as a hero among the +anima. Since he could _always _tell who was one, he could ensure they weren't harmed in the revolution's fights.

Smiling a bit wider, Cooro allowed his wings to take him down the alleys at quite a bit of speed. There was something odd about that boy, and for some reason he really wanted to find out just what it was.

…

The brown haired mouse +anima was absolutely seething. That – that _damn _speech! Myrrha was such a liar! They never _abused _him! He could speak perfectly fine! He'd definitely never had a problem raising his voice around him.

Why would he even make up that lie? It didn't make any sense. Did he want sympathy so bad that he'd completely fabricate injuries? Or was he trying to slander their family's name even worse than it already was? Either way, that didn't… that didn't sound like Myrrha _at all._

Shaking his head, the thirteen year old told himself that the Myrrha he'd _thought _he'd known was a complete fake, so of course it didn't sound like him. The little brat who he used to sneak in to see after his classes, because he felt _bad _that he had to be locked up all the time. Because despite everything, he really had liked the younger boy!

He still couldn't believe that he'd been tricked so horribly! The only thing they had ever done even remotely bad to him was stick him in that room after he became a +anima, and even that had been for his own good! Myrrha _knew _that. It was a hell of a lot better option than slavery, they were all trying to help him!

This is what they got as thanks? Myrrha denouncing their whole family, painting them as villains and himself as the helpless little victim?

The once-prince Keane allowed his arms to transform in his rage, lashing out at the closest thing he could find, a trashcan. It went clattering loudly down the alley, but the mouse +anima didn't bother to go after it, instead just glaring as it slowly rolled to a stop.

"Wow! That trashcan must have made you pretty mad, huh?" Keane felt his body go rigid from the shock, eyes widening as he quickly forced his arms back to their normal state before swinging around to find the source of the strangely chipper voice.

Staring in confusion, he pulled the worn wrap a bit farther forward as he watched a young winged boy land in front of him, a large smile on his face. Some sort of bird +anima.

"I… what?" he managed to ask after a moment, unable to quite figure out just what in the world the little boy in front of him could have meant.

Cooro smiled at the confused expression on the strange +anima's face. He was definitely quite a bit different than most of the +anima he'd met so far. He still seemed to be trying to hide his anima, for one thing.

Ever since the royals had been overthrown and slavery abolished, almost all +anima's not only didn't try to hide the fact, but walked around with their anima out almost all the time. Even before then, most of the revolutionaries had their animas out when around each other or out of the cities and such. Sort of a show of pride that they wouldn't hide who they really were.

This boy had immediately drawn his claws back in the second he'd realized he wasn't alone, though.

"The trashcan. You attacked it pretty badly," Cooro explained, pointing at the now broken container to prove his point. Keane slowly nodded, following his finger to where he was pointing. Before he was able to think of some reason to ditch the kid or even get a single word in, the black winged boy started speaking once again.

"You're a +anima too, so why are you mad?" Cooro asked, deciding to just get straight to the point. Keane stared at him for a moment, trying to wrap his head around the speed and randomness of the younger boy's transitions.

He quickly attempted to quell the slight panic at the thought that someone might have seen the angry way he'd been watching Myrrha and figure out who he was. It had been everything he could do to keep himself from attempting to run up and attack the boy then and there, so he knew there was absolutely no way he could have looked even a semblance of happy.

There was no reason for anyone to think he was the old crown prince though, and besides, this was just some little kid. He probably wouldn't even understand if he tried to explain it to him.

He looked like he was around Myrrha's age, actually. Keane quickly pushed that thought to the back of him mind. He did not want to be thinking about Myrrha right now.

"It's nothing. You should go back to the ceremony. Lots of people are still celebrating," he said, hoping the kid would be tempted by the celebration going on and leave him alone. Without waiting for him to answer, he turned away from the boy and starting down the alley again.

He was only able to take about three steps before the bird +anima was hovering in front of him again, wings keeping him afloat. Keane wasn't able to hold in a yelp of surprise as he quickly stumbled a few steps back to keep from walking straight into him.

"It didn't look like nothing. Something about the coronation made you _really _mad, right?" Cooro asked, watching as the brown haired boy quickly brought himself back together, pulling the cloth farther up again, as if he was afraid it was going to fall off.

Was he hiding something under there?

"I… don't think you'd understand," Keane said after a moment, trying to keep himself from getting annoyed with this kid. He wasn't in the mood to be entertaining someone after watching the only 'family' he had left selling out everything he'd ever cared about for something as stupid as power.

Cancel that thought. He'd forgotten he'd realized Myrrha never _had _cared about their family. Keane's fists clenched tighter.

"You don't know that. I'm a lot smarter than I look," the boy said happily, still not moving out of Keane's way. The ex-prince just barely managed to keep from rolling his eyes, a bit doubtful that some hyperactive little kid could really have _that _many layers.

"I'm sure you are," he said quickly, attempting to move past the child without getting hit by his wings. "But I'm not really in the mood to be explaining myself to a little kid. It's just boring political stuff anyway. Nothing you would find fun," he lied, hoping to lose the boy's interest. Even as he walked though, the black haired +anima continued to follow him, not seeming deterred any.

Cooro couldn't help but smile slightly at what the strange hooded boy had said. Lots of people pegged him as an airhead, so he wasn't very surprised.

It was always fun watching them when they figured out who he really was, though.

"It's probably not that boring," he said happily. Once again, he cut in front of the boy sharply, causing him to jump in surprise and backtrack a few steps. He sure was skittish.

"Is it because he's a +anima? No, that wouldn't make any sense, since you are too. Are you mad that he's still a royal? But he abandoned the rest of them and helped the revolution take over the palace, so that doesn't really make much sense either," Cooro started guessing.

Keane glared at the boy, before pushing past him rather roughly. He didn't care if it wasn't like him to act like that anymore, not since… Myrrha's attempted suicide. When he'd realized how cruel his jealous bullying really had been. But this kid had no idea what he was talking about and there was no reason for him to have to listen to his random theories!

"Would you just leave me _alone _already? I don't have to explain anything to you," he growled, walking fast down the alley and hoping dearly that this kid would get the message already. Cooro frowned, blinking in surprise at the older boy.

"I'm not saying you have to explain everything to me," Cooro started, watching as the boy stopped walking, but didn't turn around to look at him. "I thought that this new king would be something that _everyone _could be happy about! The +anima _and _those who believed in the old royals. But apparently it isn't, not for you."

Keane frowned, reluctantly turning around to look at the boy. He was standing on the ground now, instead of fluttering about the sky like some sort of hyperactive hummingbird. A much more serious expression was on his face, matching the changed tone in his voice.

"I just wanted to know what was wrong, since if there's _one _person who's unhappy, then there's probably a lot more who also share that person's view and are just as mad as you were. But I can't do _anything _if I don't know what's wrong in the first place," Cooro finished. Keane stared at him, surprise clear on his face.

"You _are _a lot smarter than you look," he managed to say after a moment, still sounding a bit reluctant to actually admit that. Once again, a goofy smile formed on the boy's face and he started giggling slightly, almost making Keane think that maybe he'd just imagined the serious look he'd had only a few seconds ago. Shaking his head, Keane sighed.

"If you must know," he started, choosing his words very carefully. "What I don't like about this new king is that he could abandon his whole family like that," the mouse +anima said simply, trying to keep as much emotion out of his voice as he could. It was hard distancing himself from something like this, but it seemed like this kid would not leave him alone until he got an answer. Cooro nodded, but there still seemed to be quite a bit of confusion on his face.

"Yeah, but they abused him. You heard the speech right, about how he can't raise his voice and stuff?" Cooro asked, and once again Keane had to keep from rolling his eyes. That was all a bunch of lies, but he couldn't expect this kid to know that.

"It still doesn't sit right with me. The royal family is, um, was huge. You mean to tell me that _all _of them hurt him, or that there wasn't even one person who might have felt bad for him, even tried to help as best as they could? I can't believe that they all deserved to die, and I definitely can't like someone who'd praise unnecessary death like that! _Especially _your own family," Keane defended.

Cooro stared at him for a moment, a small frown on his face, before sighing deeply and nodding. This boy was right, as much as he hated to think about it.

"Sometimes unnecessary death happens in wars," Cooro started, quickly catching Keane's attention. He was back to that strangely mature tone that surprised him once again.

"There isn't anything you can do to change it or take it back though. The best you can do is be sorry that it happened and try to find the good in the situation," he finished. Keane had the urge to glare at him and ask exactly what _good _could have come from losing his entire family, his home, and any chance to ever feel safe again? Just barely, he managed to keep himself under control, and nod just slightly.

"Yeah…" he mumbled quietly. Neither boy said anything for a moment, until the black haired boy once again flashed a smile.

"Well, it was really nice to meet you! My name's Cooro by the way," he said happily, sticking out his hand. Keane actually found himself chuckling at the extreme mood swings in this kid, before taking his head and starting to shake it,

"Yeah, you too I guess. I'm K-" he quickly cut himself off, realization finally making its way to his head.

Cooro. Black wings. Oh no…

"C-cooro? But you! Y-you're…" he stuttered, eyes so wide they looked like they were about to fall out of his head. There was just no way. No way in hell was this hyperactive bipolar little _kid _the Angel of Death! _This _was the figurehead of the revolution that was so talked about and feared in the palace? He was about as scary as a toddler! It didn't make any sense!

Cooro was just giggling again, as if he'd expected this kind of reaction. Slowly he started to nod, a large smile still on his face.

"I guess you've heard of me, maybe?" he asked in that cheerful, childlike voice. Reluctantly Keane nodded, the shock of it all starting to wear away slightly, allowing his mind to start thinking again.

This was not good. If anyone had figured out he'd managed to survive that night, and would thus be on the lookout to kill him, it would be this kid. The Angel of Death. One of the infamous generals of the now-victorious revolution.

What was he supposed to do? He had to get away from him before he killed him like the rest of his family!

The hooded boy blinked as the thought hit him, rapidly beginning to spin more in his head. Forcing another smile on his face, he laughed nervously and nodded a bit more forcefully than he had before.

"Heh, yeah, I've heard of you. I don't think there's anyone who _hasn't _heard of the infamous Angel of Death," Keane started, once again tugging on his headscarf.

This was the kid that had led the troops to kill his family. He wouldn't be surprised if he killed some of them himself. He even said that the deaths were unnecessary, but they did it anyway!

"I never thought I'd actually meet you though. You're pretty famous, and I've just been living on the streets since I became a +anima, not fighting for freedom and other crazy amazing stuff," he continued, attempting to sound a bit star struck. It was hard with the rage beginning to boil inside of him again. He wasn't the best actor in the world either, and he was even worse at lying.

That's why he wasn't lying, everything he'd just said was true after all.

Cooro simply smiled though, rocking back and forth on his feet and not appearing to notice anything strange. He liked this kid. Sure, he was a bit strange, but that was why he liked him. He thought about things differently from most of the people he met, but that was good. It would be bad if you only looked at things from one perspective without considering any others.

And knowing just that was what made Cooro such an effective, even brilliant, general.

That was a part of why this whole revolution and just the slavery in general had started. None of the royals or people in the slave trade ever thought about it from the +anima's perspective. They had only been caring about what was best for them, and that's why everything had been so lopsided.

An idea crossed the crow +anima's mind, and a large grin formed on his face.

"That's fine! The less people we needed actually out in the fighting, the better. I was thinking though, you probably don't have anywhere to stay now. Right?" Cooro asked, and Keane frowned slightly before shaking his head. Just what was this kid getting at?

"Then why don't you come with me? The war may be over and everything, but the country's still pretty unstable, with some of those who were against +anima being free still trying to fight back and gather more strength. We could use someone who looks at things a little bit _differently_, like you do," the black winged boy explained, surprising Keane quite a bit.

"Are you… recruiting me?" he asked, the disbelief in his voice clear, and Cooro scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I guess you could say it's something like that. You don't have to if you don't want to, of course. I think someone like you could be really helpful though, but it's totally your choice," he said. Keane stared at him for a moment, before suddenly laughing, not able to hold it in himself.

_Him?_ Working for the revolution? It was downright laughable! Like he would _ever _side with the people who actively fought against and killed his family, who somehow managed to convince one of his brothers to turn face.

Despite this, he quickly managed to stop his laughter, nodding at the now confused boy in front of him.

"Sorry, I just never pictured myself working for the revolution, but sure. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try to do some good for this country," he said, surprised at the look of glee that passed over the other boy's face.

Sure, he'd 'work' for the revolution. He'd work his way up as far as he could in their damn network, and he'd _slaughter _as many at the top as he possibly could! Myrrha and the little 'Angel of Death' in front of him included!

"Yay!" Cooro said happily. He was about to grab the boy's arm to drag him away to meet Senri when a thought came to him. He managed to stop himself long enough to ask.

"Oh wait, you never told me what your name is. Oh! And what kind of +anima are you? Some sort of rodent or something, right?" he asked. Keane smiled at him slightly as he answered.

"My name's Kaveh," he started, giving the fake name he'd made up once he realized he'd have to go into hiding. Once again, he reached up for the wrap around his head, but instead of pulling it forward to hide the furry brown ears underneath, he pulled it back so that the boy could see them.

"And I'm a mouse +anima," he finished, watching as Cooro nodded, a look of realization on his face. So he'd been hiding his mouse ears, how strange. Once again, Cooro found himself smiling at the peculiar boy, this time actually grabbing his arm and starting to pull him back down the alleyway towards where he'd left Senri.

Keane couldn't help but feel both surprised and exposed as Cooro dragged him along, unable to pull his wrap back up at the speed he had to run at to keep up with the other child. Reluctantly, he let it stay down for now and allowed Cooro to take him to wherever it was he wanted to go.

After all, the faster they got there, the faster he could start working towards his revenge.

* * *

><p>And the plot thickens. Haha, well I hope you all liked getting another glimpse at Keane's and Cooro's viewpoints on everything going on, or at least what they <em>think<em> is going on. And we've finally gotten around to introducing Nana too.  
>Well, as always thanks for reading and please review. Any feedback is really appreciated and helps me to know what I'm doing right and just how much people are actually interested in the story.<p> 


	13. Escape

New chapter time everyone. Longest one to date, too. As always, this chapter was beta'd by Kay Hau, who did a super awesome job, since I had been struggling a bit.

Chapter 11 - Escape

It only took about an hour for Myrrha to come to from when Ilham had knocked him out after the coronation ceremony.

Despite the headache from where he'd hit the wall, the silver boy couldn't help but be pleased with himself when he remembered those last few moments before he'd been thrown. He'd finally figured out how to transform his teeth without having to use the rest of his fish form as well! Of course, it'd been in the heat of the moment, but he was sure he could do it again.

It was perhaps a little disturbing, but he found it quite easy to ignore the pounding in his head as he sat up and reformed his fangs, running his fingers gently over the razor sharp tips. He was getting used to being in pain from those monsters attacking him anyway; it wasn't that hard to try to concentrate on something else anymore. Especially something as wonderful as a readily available weapon that couldn't be taken from him.

He wondered slightly if he should just have his teeth out all the time, like Raza did. Despite the disgust that ran through him at the thought of doing _anything _like that horrid man, they would be useful to quickly be able to defend himself against the revolutionary leaders.

Of course, most if not all of the times he'd bite them would probably end similarly to what he'd just gone through with Ilham. Not that it wouldn't be worth it, of course! Any pain was worth still being able to fight them, to know that he wasn't just lying down and letting those monsters win.

Still, it would probably be better to just leave his teeth as they normally were, and only transform them if he did decide to attack back. He wasn't really used to how they felt in his mouth - he couldn't help but wonder how Raza kept from biting his own tongue off by mistake - and the transformation didn't exactly take a very long time. After all, that way it was more likely that he could catch them off guard.

The hours that followed were incredibly boring, despite being 'king' now and all. The only time any of them came into his room over the next day was to bring him food, and thankfully none had stayed very long. It seemed like, since the coronation was over, they didn't have too much use for him at the moment.

At first it was a tremendous relief, being left alone, but Myrrha found himself getting more and more… nervous? Energetic? Paranoid? He didn't even know where all this energy that made him start pacing around his small, windowless room was coming from. He even took to practicing the movements for his staff fighting, even without the staff, out of sheer boredom and a need to _move_.

The next day he was ready to climb walls, and had given to making a game of jumping at Taj when he brought him his meals, attacking his tail, trying to find sensitive gaps in the lizard +anima's armor-like scales, or trying to run past him out the door. (He didn't quite dare it with any of the others, yet anyway. Who knew what would happen as his boredom grew though?) He spent much of his time scrounging around his room and playing with the doorknob and lock on the door, going over various escape plans in his head.

Two days after the ceremony Raza came into his room. Myrrha's eyes widened and he scurried backwards from where he'd been crouched by the door, waiting to lunge at Taj, thinking the time had come for him to get some sort of punishment or torture from the sharp-toothed shark +anima, and _really, really _not wanting to be chewed on.

Heedless of Myrrha's scrambling away, Raza easily caught the small boy by the arms, pulling them behind his back. Before Myrrha could attempt any sort of escape something cold and metal were slapped on his wrists, locking him in that position. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were some sort of handcuffs, especially when he heard the click of a key locking them in place.

Looks like they decided to move up from that bloody rope. Myrrha wasn't entirely certain if he liked this better or worse. Probably worse. He didn't think his fangs could chew threw the metal chain connecting the cuffs, even if he was able to get them in front of him to work at them. But on the plus side, the cuffs were actually looser than the rope. He could rotate his wrists and arms just enough to give himself a bit of hope.

The boy growled softly as he attempted to pull out of the cuffs, just barely able to hold back a hiss of pain at the way they cut into his still-tender wrists when he tried to see how far apart he could pull them. He wasn't about to give Raza any of the enjoyment of watching him struggle like that last time.

"How is the great King Myrrha feeling today?" the black haired man asked smoothly, grabbing Myrrha's shoulder and starting to lead him out of the room.

"I was a lot better before you came," the boy announced quite rudely, refusing to allow the slightest trace of discomfort or pain on his face. His confidence actually earned a chuckle from the older man.

A bit thankfully though, Raza didn't actually respond to his complaint. Myrrha absolutely hated to admit how much this particular +anima's threats got to him, especially ever since he'd gone and started going through with them. His arm was pretty much healed now, but the silver boy had no doubt that those scars were going to stay for quite some time.

Soon enough Myrrha was led into another room, a few floors up from where he'd been stowed before. Unsurprisingly, he didn't see any other people on the way, just like every other time he was led about, the part of the castle he was in seeming for all intent and purposes abandoned.

What was bit of a surprise however was that when Raza went to shut the door, he didn't actually go to lock it. Not that it really seemed to matter, since the black haired man clearly had something else just as effective in mind.

To Myrrha's surprise, he was dragged over to a bracket in the wall, a thick metal loop easily twice as thick as any of Myrrha's fingers. Whether it had once been used to hang or secure anything in the past, or whether Raza had arranged for it to be secured to the wall himself, the young puppet king wasn't sure.

He struggled, naturally, when Raza pinned him down and unlocked the cuff from his right wrist. The shark +anima, efficiently threaded the cuff and chain through the large loop, then grabbed Myrrha's free wrist to lock the cuff around it again. The boy was efficiently chained to the loop, back against the wall, unable to turn around or even stand up all the way.

Whatever, thought Myrrha in annoyance. Probably just more of the man's mind games to make him feel like no matter what he did he was trapped. He wasn't going to let it get to him. He let out a huff of irritation and sat down, pretending he couldn't care less.

Looking around the room now, the rest of his tormentors were already here as well. He'd been so busy struggling with Raza he hadn't even noticed. Myrrha wondered just what it was they were going to do with him now. The coronation was over, but it wasn't like the king could just disappear after that. Of course, the four already made it clear that they didn't trust him to speak or be seen very much by anyone but themselves, even with their supervision.

Rightfully so, too. It would be _so _easy to destroy their plans if they did allow him that sort of leeway. Of course, doing so would undoubtedly get him killed, but it just might be worth it…

The silver boy watched as they actually began discussing exactly that. Going over when and how often he should make actual appearances, how few they could get away with without looking suspicious.

"So now what, Raza?" Ilham asked, tapping his claws impatiently on the table.

"Should we begin planning a secondary appearance?" asked Taj curiously, arms folded on his chest and head tilted thoughtfully. Probably already planning out some royal whatever all for show…

"Of course not!" shouted Fatin angrily. "We give the brat an inch, he'll take a mile! The less we use him, the better!"

"Quiet down! Now, we've already discussed the matter of the boy's …" began Raza, already in plotting mode from the sharp look in his eyes and the way he folded his hands.

This was pointless. Myrrha wondered why he was even here.

They obviously weren't going to include him in the conversation. Couldn't they just tell him what they decided to do later, instead of chaining him up and dragging him out here? In fact, after about ten minutes it almost seemed like they'd forgotten he was even there to begin with.

Fatin was in a terrible mood for some reason, and kept shouting out insults and sarcastic comments. Surprisingly, the other three took it in stride and did their best not to antagonize her further. Apparently, Myrrha gathered, she'd decided for some reason that she despised Myrrha being appointed king after all, even through she agreed to go through with it. As if… she was upset that Myrrha had been so heartily welcomed by the people? Weird.

Ilham wanted to talk about what to do with his generals, about conquering any remnants of support for the old kingdom, about the best way to establish a nationwide adoration of their new king. He wanted Myrrha involved in political discussions, at the very least being present at such and giving an image of stability and strength to their new government. And he insisted on two nights a week of sparring with the 'princess', and even tried to get the others to agree to him using Myrrha for military matters. Myrrha wondered if he'd have to break something to get the huge tiger +anima to leave him alone… but actually that would probably backfire.

Taj seemed to be trying to organize a calendar of future events, constantly interrupting the others for specifics and exact dates, times, and requirements for any events. He wanted a return of various ceremonies, to quickly reestablish the courts and public services, and to arrange various communications with the common people. While he didn't state as much, Myrrha read between the lines and realized he actually wanted a sort of underground secret intelligence network spanning the whole kingdom. While he believed Myrrha had his place as a figurehead, he agreed with Fatin's assertion that the time of "dictatorship" was over, though he also agreed with Raza that they should give Myrrha the appearance of being deeply involved in their new government.

Raza was full of idealistic dreams and ideas, though at times he seemed a little vague about the actual goings-about of things. He wanted to establish schools like the upper classes had always had access too, only he wanted everyone to have the opportunity to go. He wanted to improve the medical system and ensure that the common people were cared for, rather than neglected and left to their own. He insisted that they arrange jobs and provide for the basic needs of ex-slaves, at least for a period of time until the war was completely won and the country recovered. And he had an endless list of ideas for what they could use Myrrha for, from public appearances to sooth and inspire the people, to political meetings with foreign countries.

The silver haired boy attempted to follow along with their conversation, but soon lost interest as the discussion grew deeper and more complicated. Too many names he didn't recognize, and if they felt comfortable talking about this in front of him then he doubted it was anything he could use against them. Instead, Myrrha just started trying to block out their discussion, which seemed to be turning into some sort of argument, attempting to twist his hands out of their cuffs in the mean time.

Myrrha growled in frustration when the cuffs wouldn't budge at all. The door was actually unlocked for once, so if he was able to get out he might actually have a chance to sneak past them.

The fake king scoffed, actually rolling his eyes at the thought. Like that would ever happen. Even still, he didn't stop trying to pull himself out of the cuffs all the same. Sure, the four seemed a bit distracted from him now, but there was no way they wouldn't notice if he managed to get up and just walk out of the room.

It would still be worth it just to see their faces if he _did _manage to find some way out of his bindings, even if he couldn't actually leave. They weren't skin tight around his wrists. If he could just get his stupid thumbs out of the way then he would be able to slip out.

Myrrha flinched when Ilham slammed his hands down on the table, knocking him out of his current thoughts. Looking back over at the four, none of them seemed particularly threatened by his display of anger from whatever their conversation had fallen to.

Hmm, if they did end up fighting, he figured that the three of them together could probably defeat the tiger +anima with ease. But when it came to one on one, he wasn't really sure who'd be able to win. Raza and Fatin probably both had a chance of beating him, depending on what the situation was like at the time, but he highly doubted Taj could. Not that Taj was weak – he just seemed more like an assassin than a fighter. Strike once, run away.

Myrrha smirked to himself. He knew quite well that Taj was weak to surprise forward attacks, just from the number of times he'd managed to get bites and bruises in on the lizard +anima.

Not that they'd ever do something like infighting, as much as Myrrha hated to admit it. They were probably just used to Ilham's temper, which wouldn't surprise the silver boy at all. He'd blown up similarly the first time Myrrha had met him, after all. Honestly, it was more Fatin's silent biting anger that was surprising, and the skill with which they ignored or dodged her barbed comments.

The silver boy blinked, his face going slightly blank as his mind returned to his handcuffs. Pulling once again, the circle of metal got caught on his thumbs just like every other time. If he could just get his thumbs out of the way…

A shudder ran through him as an idea came to his mind, having remembered the ease at which the tiger +anima had popped his dislocated shoulder back into place. That… had looked like it really hurt. It _had _to have hurt! Ilham had been _laughing _during the whole thing, though.

Frowning once again, Myrrha twisted his hands so that the base of his thumbs were pressed up against the metal bands. If Ilham could barely flinch when his shoulder was dislocated and laugh while putting it back into place, there was no way he was going to look past a possible way out because he was afraid of the pain.

Pressing down and pulling as hard as he could, Myrrha attempted to hold in a whine as it nearly cut into his wrists. You couldn't exactly dislocate a thumb with a staff, so he wasn't even sure if he was pushing on the right spot, let alone at the right angle, but it was his best guess.

The silver boy wasn't able to keep himself from whimpering quietly when he did finally feel a distinct pop in both of his thumbs. He squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could for a moment, trying to keep his breath steady while the initial shock of pain ran through him.

After what felt like forever but was probably closer to two minutes Myrrha managed to open his eyes again and look back over to the four. None of them were paying him any mind at all, and he very slowly slipped his hands out of the cuffs, wincing when it still pulled on his dislocated thumbs ever so slightly.

The fake king sat on the floor for a moment, not entirely sure what he was supposed to do now. Ignoring the still throbbing pain in his hands, he never took his eyes off of the four seated around the table - all of them seeming to be partaking in the argument now, not that Myrrha was even processing what they were saying anymore - as he slowly, very slowly started scooting over towards the door.

When he actually made it all the way along the wall to the door, practically not breathing the entire time, he stopped. None of them were paying attention _at all_. Reaching up to the knob, he twisted it as quietly as he could, adrenaline managing to lock out the pain this time. It was more difficult than he'd thought it'd be, not having the use of his thumbs, but he managed after a couple seconds. Opening it just enough so that he could slip through, he actually managed to sneak out of the room, shutting the door just as slowly as he'd been moving before.

The second the door was shut, however, Myrrha scrambled to his feet, yelping in pain when attempted to put pressure on his thumbs to get up. The boy didn't bother to stick around to see if any of them had heard him inside though, instantly starting to sprint down the hallway and down a flight of stairs. He had absolutely no idea where he was going, but he had to find a way out of this freaking palace.

It was actually _working!_

He might actually be able to escape! He could get out of this damn hell hole and put all of this behind him! Hide out somewhere those monsters would never find him, run away to another country and never think about this again!

Right, he needed to find Keane too. He'd find a way out of here, find some way to disguise his appearance, and begin his search for his brother. Once they were together, then they'd plot a way out of the country.

The silver haired boy only stopped when the pain in his hands became too much to bear. Breathing was getting difficult, and his legs were starting to shake. He quickly ducked around a quiet looking corner and dropped to the ground. He fought to catch his breath while hesitantly attempting to do what Ilham had done after their fight and pop the joints back into place.

Myrrha cursed softly in pain, actually sweating by the time he managed to put his first thumb back to normal. Once that was done though, the second one was considerably easier, although still just as painful as the first. That didn't matter at all though. He had no doubt that the four would notice he was gone soon enough, and he needed to get as far away from them as he possible could before then.

Once again, he sprinted down the hallway at top speed, one thought running through his head over and over again.

He had to get out of here.

…

Raza pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance as Ilham and Taj continued to squabble back and forth. Ilham was completely insistent that their top priority should be the routing out and annihilation of any remaining opposition to their new government, while Taj was debating fiercely that the time for heavy military tactics was in the past.

This wasn't getting them anywhere, right now they just needed to make sure their new 'king' was thought of by the citizens as heading the repairs of the country needed after the revolution. Right now, it would be fine to only bring him out when absolutely necessary. After things started to settle down slightly, then they would have to have him make more public appearances to keep the people's focus on the king.

Of course, by then there really shouldn't be any problems. He doubted the child's stubbornness would last that long. He was a +anima, after all. And quite an intelligent one at that.

The shark +anima was knocked out of his thoughts when he heard Taj cut himself off in the middle of his own sentence. He stared somewhere off to the left of Ilham, a perplexed look on the his reptilian features. The tiger +anima had just opened his mouth to ask what the problem was now when Taj began to speak.

"Hey…" he started, sounding genuinely confused. "Where'd the brat go?"

He didn't sound entirely as worried as he probably should have been as he pointed towards the far wall. That might have just been a byproduct of the shock overriding that part of his brain, however.

Immediately the other three spun around to see just what he was talking about, staring in stunned silence for a moment at the empty pair of handcuffs hanging from the bracket in the wall. They were still closed, no sign that anyone had managed to open them. Even still though, their little puppet was nowhere in sight.

"What the _hell?!"_ Ilham yelled, knocking the others back to their senses slightly. Taj quickly ran over to the handcuffs, lifting them up as if to just be entirely certain that the boy hadn't somehow figured out how to turn himself invisible.

"How'd he get out…? There's no way…" Raza asked, not used to feeling so completely befuddled. It truly didn't make any sense, though. He'd put those cuffs on the boy himself, he knew they weren't possibly loose enough for him to have slipped though. Lord knows he'd been trying on the way here. Checking, he made sure he still had the key on him, which thankfully, but even more confusingly he did. It just didn't seem possible.

Fatin turned sharply towards him, for once how she was feeling actually clear on her face and in her voice. She wasn't able to hide the irritation and anger at the fact that their young royal prisoner had managed to outsmart them this once.

"Are we just going to _stand here _and hope he comes back? Let's find him already!" she yelled. Within seconds all four were rushing out of the room, quickly splitting up in order to cover as much of the palace as fast as possible. They couldn't be sure just how long ago their puppet had managed to escape, after all.

Although they all liked to think that it couldn't have been any longer than a minute at the most, none of them could rightfully recall the last time they had looked over to check on the prisoner. He could have been on the loose for anywhere between five to ten minutes now. Which needless to say, wasn't a good thing in the least.

Their only reassurance was that, from this room, it would take the child at least an hour to find his way to any of the exits out of this enormous palace. And the chances of their puppet king _not _meeting anyone in that time were practically nonexistent.

Raza frowned as he ran down one of the halls, not able to remember the last time something had thrown him quite like this. To think that brat had actually managed to somehow slip out of his handcuffs and sneak past all four of them! Despite the possibly devastating breach in securing their secrets about that boy, a smirk made its way onto the Raza's face as he continued to search the palace for their missing 'king.'

He'd told the others the boy had potential, hadn't he?

…

Myrrha was already two floors down from the room he'd just escaped from, his head down towards the marble floor as he continued to sprint through the curved halls of the palace. He wasn't entirely sure where he was, the best he could come up with was somewhere in the sun tower. His biggest instinct was just telling him to make as much room in between himself and those four as possible, so he headed towards the bottom of the palace.

There had to be an exit somewhere, or an entrance into another tower. He knew there was a walkway to the wind tower on the fifth floor, but he might have already passed that. He was not about to start back to check, either. He'd find a different way out, there had to be lots of them. Areas for servants and guards to come in, anything.

Myrrha yelled in surprise when he collided into something large and firm, flailing back and tumbling ungracefully to the floor. He actually managed to somehow hit his head in the process, pushing himself back up just enough so that he could rub it as he tried to get his mind to start working again after being stunned like that.

"Oh shoot! Are you okay? Your Highness?" whatever it was he'd ran into asked.

Myrrha immediately felt his heart drop into his stomach. He knew that voice.

No… goddamn it, he'd been so _close_.

Opening his eyes, the silver boy looked up to see a familiar winged form standing over him, a look of seemingly genuine concern on his face.

Myrrha's brain completely froze for about half a second. He _wasn't _going to get caught again. He couldn't. Scrambling to his feet, the fake king didn't say a word as he immediately started running down the opposite direction of the hall, leaving Kazana standing there, just as stunned as Myrrha had been when he rammed into him.

"W-what the? Hey!" the hawk +anima yelled once he started to think again, the silver boy having already rounded the bend of the hallway by this point.

Kazana quickly took to using his wings instead of running, proving much faster than Myrrha was this way.

"King Myrrha! Please stop!" he shouted, but the figure before him seemed to run even faster at his words.

Myrrha had been able to get about halfway down the next staircase by the time the teen had managed to catch up with him, grabbing him around his waist and pinning his arms down exactly as he had when first catching the boy.

"Let go of me!" Myrrha yelled, instantly starting to struggle in his grasp. Unfortunately, it proved exactly as effective as it had been the first time around, which was not at all.

"Hey, come on, your highness. J-just relax, okay?" Kazana practically pleaded, clearly more than a little confused about the whole situation.

The silver haired boy didn't care though. He knew that those monsters would punish him horribly if he let something slip about what was going on that wasn't supposed to be known, but he couldn't care less about that at the moment.

His entire mind was just cursing himself for being so stupid to have gotten caught. He'd been so close. Then this idiot had to come and ruin everything! It wasn't fair!

"I _demand _you let go of me!" he yelled, actually seeming to cause Kazana to stop and think for a moment.

Slowly, he lowered Myrrha to the ground, but he didn't completely let go of him, still holding strongly onto one of his arms to keep him from running off again. Myrrha attempted to pull his arm free, actually growling in frustration when he couldn't.

His brain wasn't working quite right enough yet to realize that the teen had just slightly ignored a direct order from his king. Which, from the way he'd heard him obediently following what Ilham had said in that room a few days ago, didn't really seem much like him at all.

"Um… is everything okay?" Kazana asked after a moment, staring at the young boy as he tried to figure out just what was going on. Taking a deep breath, Myrrha barely managed to force himself to calm down slightly.

"I- I'm _fine_," he struggled out, trying to ignore the crushing feelings at having his escape attempt stopped in its tracks. As much as he absolutely hated it, he had an act to uphold now.

There were two ways Myrrha could see this going. One, if he could trick Kazana into laying off, he still might succeed in his escape. He would have to be quick, though, before anyone sounded an alert. Two… this might be the end of his escape. In which he'd better start worrying about punishments and _future _escape plans.

If he wasn't going to be getting out, he had to try to fix this so that he could still have another chance later on. If Kazana found out something he shouldn't, then they might decide this is all too much of a risk and just kill him and scrap the whole puppet king plan. Didn't the whole plan revolve around the people thinking Myrrha was a strong king, after all?

No no no no NO! He was so close!

"Where were you running to? Did something happen?" the teen asked, not quite seeming to be about to just let this whole thing go. Myrrha wouldn't meet his eyes as he desperately tried to think of some excuse. He doubted 'I was late for a very important meeting' would explain the complete panic he'd been in.

Despite the fact that he didn't trust this guy in the least - after all, he'd been right in the midst of the palace's takeover, killing his family like they weren't even human, kidnapping _him _- he found himself blurting out what was probably the closest thing to the truth that he could have said.

"I am escaping," he said, completely spur of the moment. He made sure to hold his head up proudly. "Now unhand me!"

Kazana's eyes widened in shock.

Myrrha opened his mouth to elaborate on the story, tell him some garbage about being chased or something. Surely the teenager would run off to see what was threatening his king, right? Or at least escort him to somewhere 'safe'?

The others had specifically said he was supposed to act like a powerful king, not some scared little kid. Not that he actually _was _a scared little kid or anything like that. He could take anything those beasts did to him. But, to his disgust, he noticed he was trembling. And Kazana had obviously noticed.

To Myrrha's surprise, despite the initial shock that had passed over Kazana's face, it was very quickly replaced with a look that he almost could have sworn was understanding. But what in the world could a revolutionary leader like Kazana possibly find in this situation to understand?

"Oh, I see," the teen said though, relaxing the grip on Myrrha's arm slightly.

The silver-haired boy tried to yank his arm free, but Kazana's hold was still far too strong.

Damn. What should he do? Kazana could easily catch him if he tried running off again, and there was no way the others hadn't noticed he was gone by now. It was only a matter of time before they found him and locked him up once again.

No. He refused to let himself believe that. He was going to get out of here.

"What do you mean?" Myrrha asked, then cursed himself in his head. There was not time for explanations right now! He had to persuade Kazana to leave him for some reason, so he could continue his escape and…

"Well, it's a huge responsibility. No one blames you for getting a little nervous, but that's no reason to try to run away," Kazana explained. Myrrha tensed.

Oh, crap. He'd figured out Myrrha was trying to run? How on earth had he jumped to that conclusion? No matter, he just would have to get the teen off that train of thought and…

"I'm _not _running away!" he growled, but it was more of his own pride talking than anything else.

Kazana smiled slightly at him and nodded. It seemed more like he was agreeing with him just to agree though, not because he actually believed him. Before Myrrha could elaborate, Kazana spoke.

"You're sure to make a wonderful king one day."

His eyes widened in surprise when he caught onto the teen's wording. At the same time, he was suddenly achingly aware of every breath he took and beat of his heart.

There was no way they had actually told this guy what they were really doing, was there? They were trying to keep it an absolute secret, not telling anyone who wasn't absolutely necessary, right? Kazana did not seem absolutely necessary.

The silver boy found himself frozen in fear with the thought that they'd not only told this guy, but he apparently had _approved _of it.

That fear quickly turned over into anger, however. To think that he'd been even a little bit more relaxed in talking to Kazana then the rest of them. Everyone in this revolution was turning out to be some sort of bloodthirsty monster!

Looking at Kazana now though, his pose didn't exactly read ravenous killer. He was scratching the back of his head a bit sheepishly as he went to answer the boy.

"I'll admit, I was a little concerned with having the whole coronation and everything before you were completely ready for the position, but I can understand why they decided to do it. Without a solid leader, it'd leave the country looking weak and susceptible to attacks from other kingdoms. This'll also keep anyone else from trying to claim the position," Kazana explained.

Myrrha's eyes narrowed as he felt the rage welling up. This _punk _really did know their 'king' was nothing but a puppet!

"Like I said though, I'm sure you're going to be a great king one day, so don't go trying to run off, alright? You have plenty of time to study and learn everything you need to before you really have to make any huge decisions," he said, obviously trying his best to reassure the boy.

"Damn you," swore Myrrha, glaring spitefully straight into the teenager's face. Kazana's eyes practically bulged in shock at the sudden insult.

Myrrha knew was never going to be a true king. He was as good as a slave in finer clothes, really. It looked like Kazana truly didn't know that though. They had told him more than the average person seemed to know, obviously, but they still had him just as fooled as the rest of the country. In short, the _boy _was an _idiot_.

And while Kazana stood there, stunned at Myrrha's outburst, the puppet king took the opportunity to slam a fist into a pressure point on the hawk +anima's arm to make it release, then swung a foot into a pressure point on the teenager's chest. It wasn't nearly as effective as his staff, but it did make Kazana tumble to his knees, gasping for breath.

He took off. But Kazana recovered quickly and lunged forward, tackling the much smaller boy to the ground.

Almost immediately afterwards, Raza came into view, running around the bend of the curved stairwell. He looked concerned, but not really frantic or angry. Even that was quickly wiped off the black haired man's face though, it settling into his normal calm smirk as he slowly descended the rest of the stairs towards the two.

To Kazana's confusion, though not Myrrha's, he seemed to find the sight of their puppet king pinned to the ground by one of their generals quite humorous.

"Damn you BOTH!" shouted Myrrha, struggling anew to free himself. Kazana quickly pinned his arms as an elbow came too close to his face, with enough force to probably break his nose.

"Ah, there you are, my king. We were quite concerned when you weren't in your room as we'd thought," the shark +anima said.

Myrrha actually growled. There was no point in keeping up appearances at this stage. If he couldn't escape, he'd make recapturing him _hell_.

The black haired man turned towards Kazana now, smiling at the teen as he did so. When those huge, sharp teeth flashed in the sunlight filtering in from the windows, Myrrha felt his stomach drop in terror.

They were going to punish him for this. His mind started filtering through all of the horrible things they'd already done to him, barely able to keep the panic that each new memory brought. Raza had nearly ripped his arm off when he'd tried to refuse to be the puppet king. He couldn't even imagine what he'd do to him this time…

"King Myrrha?" asked Kazana, surprisingly gently. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" The boy was shaking so badly, Kazana let go of the boy and helped him upright.

Myrrha almost swung another punch at Kazana, even knowing it would be pointless, when he caught the genuine alarm and concern in the teenager's face.

"Did someone hurt you?" he asked, in a tone Myrrha had only heard once before. From Keane. A big brother's tone.

For a second Myrrha thought of turning to Kazana for help, telling him exactly what was _really _going on, showing him his scars and begging him not to let them take him away again. It was a stupid idea though. He couldn't trust Kazana, and he figured the teen probably couldn't beat the shark +anima in a fight anyway.

Raza stepped forward, a heavy arm gripping Myrrha's shoulder. "Post-coronation jitters," chuckled the large shark +anima. "He'll be fine. Thank you for keeping an eye on him, General Kazana."

Kazana simply nodded, smiling comfortingly and gently patting Myrrha on the head, as if he really was their little king's older brother or something.

_Idiot_, thought Myrrha, though this time with more of an internal sigh. It was hard to hate someone that genuinely seemed interested in your well being. Especially someone who so obviously had fallen hook, line, and sinker for whatever propaganda had been shoved down his throat.

"Not a problem. It was nice getting a chance to see our little king again," the teen said.

Raza smirked down at Myrrha, the boy instantly catching the manic look once again back in his eyes.

"Thank you, Kazana. It would be nice to speak with you again," he said politely, and actually truthfully – though perhaps not for the same reasons Kazana would think. Even if Kazana was being hopelessly tricked, he was still better company than the monsters he was forced to be around.

The older boy smiled and nodded once again. That smile faded ever so slightly into a look of confusion when Myrrha wasn't quite able to completely hold back a flinch as Raza's hand tightened on his shoulder and steered him back the way they'd come.

"Well, it's best we get going. It was a pleasure seeing you again, General Kazana. Now come along, Myrrha," the older man said.

Reluctantly, Myrrha allowed Raza to lead him up the staircase, leaving Kazana where he was. Before he would have been completely out of sight though, the silver boy glanced back, but he was nowhere in sight. He must've flown off, because Myrrha hadn't heard any footsteps.

Raza's grip on his shoulder became painfully tight, and the silver boy turned his attention back in front of him. It wasn't until they were completely up the stairwell that Raza started to speak, chuckling slightly as he continued to force Myrrha forward.

"Clever, aren't you, my king? I _still _can't quite figure out how you managed to slip through those handcuffs," he said, actually sounded amused by the whole ordeal.

That didn't calm Myrrha down at all though, able to feel his heartbeat in his throat by this point. It wasn't like Raza to lose his cool, anyway. No, that was Ilham.

Raza's cool was far more terrifying than Ilham's rage. And Taj's annoyance and Fatin's obvious dislike weren't even on the charts next to those two.

Suddenly, Raza stopped, grip once again tightening, fingernails seeming to dig into his skin through his clothes and causing Myrrha to yelp in pain as he spun in front of the child. Those huge teeth were all visible now, barely two inches from his face as the tall man leaned down to be on his level, now gripping both shoulders painfully.

He wasn't scared. He was not scared of these monsters. He wasn't…

"How about you tell me how you managed to pull that little trick off, hmm?"

He was terrified.

* * *

><p>Wel, hope you all liked it. Poor Husky was so close, but we're starting to see more and more things begin to shape up, which is very fun indeed. As always, thanks for reading and please review.<p> 


	14. Living Lies

Hey reading people. Looks like it's time for a new chapter. We're really close to the next section of this story, which shall involve the 'main' plot finally. Just a few more chapters, so no worries. Let's just start this one we have right here now though, that should be fun. It's not quite as long as the giant last chapter either.

Chapter 12 - Living Lies

Prince Myrrha was curled up tightly in the corner of his 'room'. The thin blanket from Taj was wrapped around his skinny frame and a few spots were starting to stain red where his sloppily done bandages hadn't completely covered up his numerous new wounds. Just like always, they made sure to leave his face clear of any injuries.

He absolutely, positively _hated _those monsters. He'd been more than right about them punishing him for trying to escape, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut tight to try and keep himself from remembering and his eyes from possibly start watering again.

It didn't quite work, the memory of Raza's teeth causing the child to nearly whimper out loud. He immediately made himself stop though. Even if he was alone, he didn't want any sort of admission that those beasts really did scare him. They didn't. Or at least, he would lie and say that they didn't. He was just really, really hurt right now.

The silver haired boy barely managed to keep himself from crying as the pain continued to run through his body. You'd think letting Ilham toss him around a bit would be enough of a punishment, but apparently escape rated higher than backtalk. Not only had Raza bit down nearly to the bone of his right leg (a guaranteed way to keep him from running around for at least a good few weeks), he was pretty sure Fatin had broken a couple of his fingers on his left hand. On top of Ilham throwing him a good twenty feet or so into a wall. At least all Taj had done was skip feeding him – or at least Myrrha figured he had, since he hadn't seen any food or drink since he'd been thrown in here.

And it had been hours. Probably about a day.

The seconds ticked by in the boy's head, punctuated only by his labored breathing and occasional cursing. It was a long, long while, but eventually Myrrha managed to get up the energy to push himself back up into a sitting position. It sent dull shockwaves of pain throughout his body, but he managed to ignore them for the moment.

Looking over the blatantly horrible job he'd done bandaging himself up earlier, the boy pulled over the small basket of medical supplies and began slowly redoing them all over again. It was a bit hard while he tried to keep from actually looking at his wounds as best as he could, especially his leg, but gradually he managed to finish. It wasn't that he was particularly squeamish, but it was still less than pleasant to look at.

It was, however, quite tricky a maneuver without bumping, let alone actually using, the pinky and ring finger of his left hand. Fatin had set them (rather brutally) right after breaking them – which, much as he hated to admit it, was probably a good thing as he wasn't sure himself how to set bones yet. At this rate he'd better learn fast.

He probably could have waited for Taj to come and fix him up instead, since he was bound to try eventually, but the very idea of one of _them _touching him… He was not about to depend on anything from them. For the rest of his life, if he could help it. He'd rather be a cripple than be in any sort of _debt _to those monsters!

Once he was finished the silver boy leaned against the wall, pushing the dirty blanket and unused rolls of bandages away from him as he tried to think.

So, saying his escape hadn't quite managed to go smoothly would be a major understatement. That didn't take away the fact that he had been _so _close to actually getting out of here. If he'd just hadn't run into Kazana, he might have really been able to escape.

Despite the severe pain still stinging through him, he wasn't actually discouraged at all. If anything, once he got over the crushing feeling that had engulfed him once he was caught, he was even more determined to find a way to leave this hellhole. If they'd let their guard down once, they could easily do it again. And when that time did come, he wouldn't mess up.

And so Myrrha set to planning. Ideas, methods, both long-term and short-term goals, should he be trapped for a while. He would have to learn to pick locks, he decided. And study the joints in his arms and legs better. Keep track of any schedules that might be set up around him, pay attention to the intricate relationships among the revolutionaries… maybe there would be something he could take advantage of. If he was allowed access to books or maps, that would be perfect. Would have to find out where exactly he was located in the palace, all the ins and outs, and maybe he could try to escape through a canal like he'd attempted way back in the harem's garden…?

The process quite took his mind off his pain, as well as the now-gnawing hunger in his stomach and thirst in his throat, so it actually startled him when a knock came on the door.

It was Taj, and just as he'd thought, the youngest of the four was coming to try to fix up his bandages a bit better.

But Myrrha refused to let him anywhere near the cuts, insisting with a rough, angry voice that he didn't need their help _at all_. They were the ones who'd done this to him in the first place! What did they expect? It was obvious that their pet puppet king's stubborn refusal was irritating the reptilian +anima more and more as he continued to squirm and fight out of Taj's grasp.

Snapping his fighting +anima teeth right down on the young revolutionary's hand seemed to be the final straw, however.

"That's it!" Taj yelled, yanking his hand out of the boy's mouth as fast as he possibly could.

Myrrha actually flinched, expecting Taj to end up scratching him, biting him, pull his hair or just something to cause him even more pain. His teeth stung from having the claw ripped out of his mouth so quickly, and it didn't help that those scales were so hard to begin with.

"You want to take care of yourself? Go on ahead!" was all Taj spat though, turning away from the boy and practically stomping out of the room.

Myrrha stayed where he was though, not bothering to try to slip through the door as Taj shut and locked it. He wasn't in any condition to attempt another escape yet anyway, with his leg and all.

Besides, he really didn't think it'd be a good idea to continue trying to push his luck. Not so soon after that last punishment.

Sighing, Myrrha looked down at his wounds. One of the scrapes from his crash into the wall, courtesy of Ilham, had started bleeding again from his attempts to get away from Taj, stinging painfully. Redoing the bandage for the third time that day, he guessed he was at least getting a bit better at it. Still nowhere near as good as Taj was, but he could manage. He certainly did _not _need any of their help, that was for sure.

The silver boy had just noticed that they still hadn't brought him anything to eat. He guessed that was going to be a part of his punishment too, seeing as Taj was usually the one to bring his meals. No food for a while. Well, that was just fine. It didn't matter what these beasts did to him; he'd be able to handle it. They wouldn't risk their 'king' looking too sickly anyway, so it couldn't really be more than another day or so.

Pushing himself up, Myrrha slowly managed to limp over to the door. He was still slow from all of the injuries, but he felt restless and weak just sitting there. It was locked, like always, but there had to be some way to get out. Again the boy's mind drifted to lock-picking. He didn't have anything small enough to try, though, and even if he did he had no idea how to. It couldn't be that hard though. He could figure it out, if he just had the right tools.

Messing with the doorknob in irritation, he _knew _it couldn't be that hard to pick the lock. The door to his old room had been locked most of the time, but Keane had always managed to find a way in. He should have made the redhead tell him how he did that before he…

No. Keane wasn't dead. Everyone else might be, more than likely definitely was, but he had to just convince himself that, however unlikely, at least that spaz wasn't. Just a specific face and name to hold onto to keep himself from going _completely _insane.

Giving up on the door for now, he started back over to the opposite end of the room.

Whatever. He'd find a way out. They couldn't keep him locked in here forever, after all. All those things they wanted to use him for, he'd have to be moved around a lot eventually. He could try to escape when they weren't looking. Or the next time they took him out, he could try to sneak in something small and sharp to try to pick the lock with. He'd have a better chance of not running into anyone if he tried to get out at night.

Lying down, he didn't bother with the blanket this time. It was still bloody from before, not exactly something he wanted to cling to. Whatever though, he didn't care. And he actually felt rather hot, probably from all his injuries, so it wasn't like he needed to escape the cold.

He just had to go to sleep for now and try to ignore the pain. He'd find a way out of here.

It'd be fine.

…

Cooro finally came to a halt, and Keane took a moment to pull the grey wrap still around his shoulders back up, effectively covering most of his brown hair and hiding his mouse-like ears from view.

Looking around, Keane saw that the black winged boy had taken them back to the main square under the palace. The place was still extremely crowded, although it seemed like more and more people were starting to leave now that the coronation had been over for a while.

Cooro was fluttering a few feet off of the ground now, having thankfully let go of the other boy's arm by this point. The near constant smile that had been on his face was gone though, replaced with a look of worry instead as he scanned the square.

"Um, did you lose something?" Keane asked, figuring what with the way he was looking all around them that might have been it.

Just as he thought, Cooro nodded, landing back on his feet afterwards.

"Yeah. Heh, whoops. The whole reason I didn't fly up during the coronation in the first place…" he said, mumbling the last part to himself.

Keane just nodded, not entirely sure what he was talking about.

Cooro stopped trying to spot whatever it was he'd lost in the crowd and turned back around to the other boy, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry about this, I need to go find my friend Senri. He tends to wander off, but he shouldn't have gotten very far," he said, already starting to fly up again.

Keane was pretty sure that so far the boy had flown more than he'd walked. It was definitely a little odd seeing someone so at ease with his anima and using it so much. So far, Keane hadn't used his own for anything other than helping vent his anger, listening for any potential threats, and the occasional eavesdropping.

"That's fine. Do you want me to just stay by the alley or help you look for him or something?" he asked. It felt wrong offering to help this kid, the Angel of Death that had done such awful things. Of course, it also felt pretty wrong to see him smiling goofily and think that this was a _killer_.

"You can just wait by the alley if you want. I should be able to find him pretty fast," the black haired boy said.

Once again Keane nodded, starting over towards the alley entrance while Cooro took off into the air to look for this Senri guy. The second he reached the stone wall, the mouse +anima practically collapsed to the ground. Thankfully no one seemed particularly interested in the boy as he leaned his back up against the wall. Sighing loudly, Keane closed his eyes and started trying to sort through everything that had just happened while he had a chance to be alone.

He was being recruited by the revolutionary army, and not only that, he had actually agreed to _willingly go _with them. It was just so that he could get revenge though. No reason to feel guilty. After all, what better way to destroy something than from the inside? It had certainly worked for that traitor Myrrha, and it would work just as well for him too.

Keane opened his eyes at the thought of the new 'king'. Not that he'd ever acknowledge his traitor of a baby brother as such. Once again frowning, he glared up at the now empty balcony.

This whole thing still didn't make any sense. Whenever he started calming down, he was again nearly overwhelmed with this sense of wrongness that went beyond just betrayal. Myrrha helping to kill his family just didn't make _sense_. It just didn't suit the brat. If he'd felt so alienated and angry at the royal family, why hadn't he just run away? Keane would've helped him, if he wanted, but he'd never mentioned anything of the sort…

The once-crown prince ground his fists into his temples, reminding himself that the feisty little brat in his memory was not the real Myrrha. The real Myrrha was a bloodthirsty, power-hungry traitor.

That didn't matter though. Right now, he just had to focus on fooling that Cooro kid into trusting him so that he could get high enough within the revolution to get revenge on all the people that slaughtered his family. It seemed like it would be easy enough. For a fearsome revolutionary figurehead, this Cooro guy sure seemed to be pretty trusting and gullible.

The brunette was knocked out of his thoughts when someone stopped directly in his line of sight. A rather tall teen was staring down at him, a look of slight confusion on his face.

Quickly scanning him over, Keane was able to figure out two things. One, he was more likely than not a Kim-un-kur, from his clothing and the beads in his hair, and two, he was some sort of +anima. Probably a bear, from the look of his arm, which was covered in thick brown fur, huge claws replacing the figures of his right hand.

"Um, h-hello?" he asked after a moment, rather unnerved by the way the teen just continued to stare down at him without saying anything.

"Oh, Kaveh! You found Senri!" Cooro's voice called before the teen had any time to respond, startling Keane quite a bit.

Nodding slowly, he looked back over at the tall Kim-un-kur boy. This was who Cooro had lost? He certainly looked capable of taking care of himself without the bird boy having to look out for him. Actually, it seemed like it should probably be the other way around instead.

Senri turned towards Cooro as Keane quickly stood up. The bear +anima handed a long scythe over to the child that Keane hadn't noticed before. He was kind of glad that he hadn't, actually. Some strange man staring down at him, not only with his anima out, but a weapon as well? Probably wouldn't have gone over very well.

Looking over at Cooro holding the scythe, he couldn't help but think that certainly fit with the whole Angel of Death image, he guessed.

"Thanks, Senri," the black haired boy said cheerfully, landing back on the ground to give his wings a break.

"Senri, this is Kaveh. He's a mouse +anima. He said he'll come back with us! Isn't that great?" Cooro introduced him.

Once again the teen turned towards the brunette, who pulled the wrap around his head a bit further down in an attempt to hide from the slightly intimidating gaze. He wasn't sure if he'd actually ever met a Kim-un-kur before. Probably not.

Senri just smiled softly and nodded at him, not actually saying anything.

"It's um, nice to meet you?" Keane ended up mumbling.

Once again the teen was silent, starting to confuse him now. Was there a reason he wouldn't talk to him? H-he didn't recognize him, did he? No, there was no way. Even if he did, he doubted a companion of the Angel of Death would just stand there silently.

"Senri doesn't talk much," Cooro cut in, as if reading his thoughts. Another large smile made its way onto the crow +anima's face when he continued. "Come on! I'll take you over to a camp we have set up right outside of the city," he said excitedly.

Reluctantly Keane nodded, starting to follow the boy as he led them away from the square. Cooro was actually walking for once, probably because he'd been doing so much flying his wings were finally tired or something. Or maybe it was some sort of bird +anima etiquette when in a group? Honestly, Keane didn't care much.

Cooro kept glancing back at the strange boy as he led them out of the capital city. He still felt that there was something kind of weird about him, but he really did seem nice enough. Besides, most of the people who had helped fight in the revolution were a bit strange as well, himself included, so Kaveh'd probably end up fitting right in.

Something told him that Kaveh probably hadn't been a +anima for very long. The guy had said he'd been staying on the streets since he'd became one after all, so he hadn't ever been in slavery. That meant it'd probably happened some time after the revolution had really started to turn the tide in the war, or maybe he was just really good at hiding his anima and managed to keep from being found by slavers?

Cooro wasn't about to ask the boy about it though. If someone wasn't comfortable talking about how they became a +anima, you certainly didn't go asking them about it. And if it was a recent thing like he suspected, than it would probably be for the best to not remind him of whatever had happened. Last thing they needed was the guy having a breakdown or something from the trauma. He'd seen that countless times with new +anima on the battlefield.

"You'll like the camp. Everyone's been a lot more relaxed and happier since we won the war!" he said, attempting to start a conversation. As well as steer his thoughts in a cheerier direction. That there wouldn't be much death anymore was certainly a wonderful thing, right? Right!

Kaveh just nodded, looking around the streets as they continued to get farther from the center of town. He seemed to kind of shrink into himself as they walked, kind of hunching over to make himself look smaller than he actually was. Cooro could just see the movement of his ears as they twitched under the wrap, as if they were straining to pick up every little sound around them.

Yeah, definitely still a new +anima. It usually took a year or two for the paranoia from the transformation trigger to start fading.

"Are you from Stella?" he asked, bringing the boy's focus back to him.

Kaveh nodded, once again pulling the wrap around his head forward before speaking. That sure was a funny little nervous habit he had. It was like he was trying to hide. Which was just silly when he was walking down the street towards the revolutionary army's campsite with two famous revolutionary generals.

"Yeah, I've actually never left the city before," the brunette mumbled.

Cooro couldn't help but smile brightly at this. No wonder he was looking around them so much if it was his first time being able to actually get out! This should definitely be fun if he'd never gotten the chance to leave before!

"Really? This'll be great then! Stella's a great place, but it's really neat getting to see other parts of the country too," Cooro said. "Our army does quite a bit of travel… well, at least we did before the palace takeover. But we'll probably still move around a bit, so you should get to see lots of places!"

Kaveh smiled slightly as he nodded, but there was a bit of hesitance there, which was only further backed up by the way he immediately glanced over his shoulder afterwards.

"Right, I'm sure it is," he said softly, still looking back.

Cooro guessed if Kaveh never left the city before, that meant that he'd also lived here before he ever became a +anima in the first place. He wondered if he still had family that lived in the city, or things like that. Kinda weird how Kaveh was almost acting like he was leaving something behind.

Before the black winged boy was able to ask if anything was wrong, the brunette had turned around again, a small frown on his face now. Something definitely seemed a little… _off _with him. Almost like something had gotten him angry again, but Cooro quickly pushed it to the back of his mind. It was none of his business to try to pry into, after all.

It wasn't much longer until the three reached the outskirts of the capital city, before quickly leaving it all together. After that, it was only about a fifteen minute walk until they had reached the edge of the revolutionary army's campground. It looked a bit shoddily put together, having been put up hastily after the palace had been captured, but it still worked for everything they needed.

Looking around, Keane tried to take in as much of the camp ground as he possibly could. Lots of makeshift tents littered the area, some actually pretty big. It kind of looked a bit like a small town the +anima had managed to make out of scraps, and actually seemed pretty stable and functional. Well, not that Keane had ever been to a small town or anything like that before, but he could imagine.

The place actually seemed to be pretty empty, a bit to his internal relief. That was probably because of the coronation just an hour ago. No doubt most of the people who'd been fighting for the revolution would want to see their 'glorious new king' take the throne.

The brunette managed to keep any of the anger bubbling inside of him off of his face at the very thought. At the blasted memory of his traitorous brother receiving a crown from the ones who'd killed their parents. He'd need to get better at hiding his emotions if he was going to trick everyone.

"More people should start coming back soon, so don't worry about that," Cooro said happily, obviously mistaking the mix of emotions on the other boy's face.

Keane just nodded, being careful to mask his face as best he could.

That was actually what he was worried about. It was bad enough just in the city thinking that any random person would end up recognizing him. Now he had to worry about those who'd specifically fought to kill his family figuring out who he was! Maybe this wasn't actually the best idea…

Subtly, he tried to shake away that thought. They wouldn't find out, he just had to keep telling himself that. No one knew he was alive, and even if they did, they didn't know what he looked like now. It had been his mother's portrait that had been available to the public after all, not his. No one would be able to tell, he had to stop being so paranoid, or else they really would start to suspect something was up.

_No one _would look at a skittish mouse +anima and think it was once the Crown Prince of Sailand.

"So…" Keane started, trying to drag himself out of his own fretful thoughts. "What should I do? Since the war's um, over and everything," he mumbled.

Cooro spun around to face him again, apparently thinking over the question.

"Hmm, well, I don't think that there's anything we really need done right away. I'm sure once the new king gets settled in after today and everything begins to calm down we'll have stuff though," he said, and reluctantly Keane nodded.

He still had no idea what this kid would want with him specifically. Apparently the Angel of Death liked him because he looked at things 'differently' than other people, but what that had to do with anything…? He guessed he'd figure it out eventually. He'd just better prepare himself for anything, since he really did have to do some serious ladder-climbing to even get close enough to have a shot at killing 'King' Myrrha.

It really didn't matter to him what they'd make him do anyway. He couldn't care less about what these people wanted, after all. It'd probably just end up bringing more destruction and pain to this country. The worst they could do was send him to kill any remaining nobles 'loyal' to his family, but most of those guys were corrupt and evil anyway… especially since he'd never seen hide nor hair of them the night his family was slaughtered.

He had to keep repeating that to himself. _I don't care. They're evil anyway. I don't care_. Making sure to ignore any whispers of doubt as Cooro excitedly fluttered about showing him all around the camp. He had to, or else he might start to forget and actually begin liking the hyperactive, smiling boy. The one he was going to kill, but only because he'd killed people too and deserved it.

So he couldn't, absolutely couldn't, smile back at the cute girl preparing dinner, or greet the guy fixing the tent, or laugh at the joke made by that one lady… No, he couldn't care about any of them. Because he was going to betray them all, and probably kill a good number of them if he could.

The teen Senri, who had been almost completely silent during this whole time, stopped walking and turned around to look at something behind him. Cooro quickly looked back as well, instantly starting to smile once again at something.

"Oh, Kazana's back already. C'mon Kaveh, I'll introduce you to him," the black winged boy said, once again grabbing a hold of Keane's arm without bothering to ask and pulling him along. The brunette couldn't help but wonder if he was like this to every new person he recruited into their army, or if he was just unlucky enough to get this treatment.

Looking ahead, Keane quickly caught sight of a tall teen, huge wings splayed out behind him, his feet having transformed into large bird claws. The black haired teen immediately seemed to notice them coming over, smiling down at Cooro.

It was so weird, seeing people he imagined as coldblooded killers acting… well, normal.

"Hey, Cooro! Senri! And who's this?" Kazana asked, having spotted the brunette boy slightly attempting to hide behind Cooro. "A new recruit?"

Keane couldn't tell if he was incredibly lucky or unlucky. He'd heard of Kazana as well, another one of the major leaders of the revolution's army, but not quite the figurehead the Angel of Death was. He guessed it made sense that he'd end up meeting some of the more higher ups of the revolution if he was being dragged around by Cooro.

Looking the large teen over, he couldn't help but think that he would never be able to kill _this _guy in a fight. He'd be lucky if he could just get away with his own life intact. He'd have to use stealth, or um, poison or something.

Well, he'd definitely never imagined his first thought when meeting someone would be how the best way to _kill _them would be.

"This is Kaveh! I met him at the coronation ceremony," Cooro explained, quickly pulling the other boy out of his thoughts.

Kazana nodded, offering a smile as he turned towards him now.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kazana," he said, and Keane managed to give a slight nod.

"Yeah, you too," he mumbled.

The teen was looking him over now, and the brunette quickly managed to figure out what he was searching for. "I'm a mouse +anima," he added, to which Kazana quickly nodded. There still seemed to be a bit of confusion, probably as to why he didn't have his anima out so that people could see like everyone else did, but Keane wasn't about to explain that. He just didn't feel comfortable broadcasting that fact out to the world yet.

It just felt _wrong _being the same thing as the people who killed the rest of his family. The same as that damn Myrrha.

"So, what are you doing back so soon?" Cooro asked, effectively changing the subject and relieving any of the subtle confusion on Kazana's face.

The hawk +anima shrugged, glancing back towards the city before answering.

"Just thought it'd be a good idea to come back here before everyone else started to in case anyone tries to get too rowdy celebrating. That coronation was definitely something else though," he said. He smiled slightly. "King Myrrha is certainly someone to celebrate, though!"

Cooro immediately nodded in agreement.

"Yep! We're definitely lucky that you managed to find him before anything bad happened by mistake," he said.

Keane quickly snapped back to the conversation, having let his mind wander slightly in an attempt to keep himself from getting annoyed with more talk of that stupid coronation and Myrrha. That last bit had grabbed his attention a bit too much to ignore though.

"Wait, you're the one who found Myrrha?" he asked. He realized almost immediately afterwards that he probably should have called him Prince, no wait, _King_ Myrrha, but it was already too late for that. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his little slip up, or if they did, they hadn't cared. Kazana simply nodded.

"Yeah, we had no idea that there'd been a prince helping us out this whole time, so it was a pretty big shock to everybody," he explained. "Apparently only the +anima at the very top knew anything about him. Good thing he transformed, or we might've killed him on accident!"

Once again, Keane managed to force himself to nod. He'd gotten a bit better at agreeing with people if he didn't actually have to say anything verbally.

The brunette wondered what would have happened if Myrrha had died in the palace takeover. For one thing, Keane would have never found out that Myrrha had betrayed all of them so severely. He would have just been another family member to mourn instead. And he wouldn't have to make up some only halfway thought out, convoluted plan that involved infiltrating an army so that he could kill him…

Despite himself, he couldn't help but decide that he would have much preferred Myrrha having died that day along with everyone else. Even if it meant never knowing the truth, he'd much rather live with a lie that kept him happy and oblivious instead, as weak as that was.

How ironic that Myrrha's favorite insult for Keane when they had fought was calling him just that. Weak. A coward.

Bringing himself back to the current situation, it seemed that Cooro and Kazana had continued their conversation as he stood there zoning out. Kazana was saying something about having to go back to the palace in a few days to talk to a few people named Ilham and Taj. The brunette stuck the name Ilham in the back of his mind, yet another one from war rumors he recognized, but decided the other one must not be all that important. Or at least, no one he knew of.

"Well, I'm gonna show Kaveh around the rest of the camp, okay?" Cooro said, and Kazana nodded, turning towards the other boy once again.

"It was nice meeting you," he repeated, to which Keane quickly agreed. It was a lie, but pretty much his entire life was a lie right now, which was just something he would have to get used to.

He wasn't really paying all too much attention to Cooro as he continued with their little tour, absently twisting a finger in his already tangled, dull brown hair.

Even if these people seemed nice and normal and just not like the evil killers Keane had imagined in his head, neither had Myrrha. It was all an act, a lie to pull him in and make him believe that these people were actually doing something good. He was not going to fall for it.

He'd lie, and this time _he _would be the traitor. It seemed like the whole world had been doing nothing but that to him, after all. He deserved to be on the other side of things for a change.

* * *

><p>Hehe, yay Keane. I'm sorry, I like this kid too much. In the original brainstorming he wasn't even in the story, he was supposed to be dead. I am quite glad that changed. I do hope you all liked the chapter though, even if really not much actually happened. Like I said though, much more is on the way.<p>

As always, thanks for reading, and please review.


	15. Interlude 3: Caged Animals

Yay, third interlude time. This one is actually very special, in that two scenes were written by my beta reader, Kay Hau.  The second and third scene (Raza and Taj, and the flashback) are thanks to her, so you should all review and tell her what an amazing job she did~  
>As usual, the rest of this was also beta'd by Kay, and I hopes you enjoy.<p>

Interlude 3 – Caged Animals

Taj watched as the silver boy prowled back and forth around the large, mostly empty room. He'd been at it for nearly thirty minutes now, not saying a word to the reptilian +anima sitting by the door. The puppet king had a frown on his face, looking like some sort of caged animal as he paced from one wall to the next before turning around again and repeating.

"You're going to open your wounds again," commented Taj, his gaze flickering over the child and again examining the white bandages for any spots of red leaking through. Though his voice came across as bored, something was flickering in his eyes. Not quite concern… but a far cry from the distant façade of the rest of his face.

"I can't stand this!" the boy finally snapped, stopping his repetitive pattern and spinning angrily towards the young lizard +anima.

The revolutionary only allowed a smirk at his outburst, tongue flickering out in amusement before speaking.

"Getting a little stir crazy, are we?" he asked. "Well, if you hadn't tried to escape you wouldn't be in this mess."

Myrrha's clear blue eyes set into an icy glare before he turned away, reassuming his prowl. This time though, he didn't stay silent, instead beginning to rant loudly.

"Shut up! I haven't been out of this damn room in over a week now!" he complained. Once again, he turned towards Taj, as if he couldn't decide on whether to run around repeatedly as he had been or keep his focus on the other occupant of the room.

"Do you have _any_ idea what it's like to be locked up like this? I haven't been able to do _anything! _I can't even tell if it's night or day anymore! I'm going absolutely _crazy_ in here!" he yelled.

Taj's look of amusement quickly transformed into a frown. Myrrha didn't notice though, once again turning away from him.

"A week isn't _that_ long," he argued. The joking tone usually present in his voice had disappeared, replaced with something rather… defensive, but their little puppet king was too wound up to notice.

Myrrha wasn't able to complain like this to the other revolutionary leaders. Not that he liked Taj any better, he hated all of them, but the reptilian +anima was a noticeably more lenient when it came to things like this. So over the past however-long-but-over-a-week of his imprisonment/isolation (he wasn't quite sure), he'd taken to allowing himself to rant at the guy. It beat talking to _himself_ like a crazy person, at least. He continued, having to get all his complaints off his chest before being faced with Raza or Ilham again.

"Yeah, maybe when you're not locked up like some _pet! _You have no idea what it's like staring at nothing but walls for days on end! Everything's going great for all of you, so whatever happens to me doesn't matter!" he spat.

Taj seemed to freeze for a moment at the boy's words.

Myrrha continued, not noticing the other's strange reaction. "God, I don't even remember what the sky looks like anymore! What fresh air feels like! And would it _kill_ you guys to just let me take a _walk_ somewhere? No, 'cause let me guess, if you _do_ you'll put a collar on me and have me follow after you like a little puppy! Or you'll put me in a _dress_ or something!"

Taj regained control of himself and slowly stood up.

The sudden movement after so much stillness surprised Myrrha almost as much as if he'd sprung to his feet. The revolutionary looked the boy's form over for a moment, some sort of internal conflict showing through his eyes.

"You're **not** a pet. No one ever said that," he told the boy, a sort of desperate growl in his tone.

Myrrha just stared at him for a moment, the confusion he felt clear, before turning away and scoffing at the young adult's words.

"Pfft, yeah right. I'm your little puppet, remember? Just here to look pretty for the people when you need me to be and then stuffed in a room again when you're done showing me off!" he huffed, folding his arms and glaring straight at the revolutionary.

Taj was silent for a moment, before sighing and turning around. Myrrha didn't bother to say a word to him as he left the room, locking the door behind him.

Probably laughing in his little bratty head that he'd won that argument… Had it been an argument?

That little royal pain didn't have any idea what he was talking about. This was all for the good of the country. As soon as he realized that they'd be able to give him much more freedom and he wouldn't have to be locked up all the time. It was his own damn fault for being so stubborn that he needed to be stuck in that room!

Taj found himself coming to a halt as what the silver boy has said started replaying in his head without his permission.

_Do you have _any_ idea what it's like being locked up like this?!_

He didn't care how locked up or suffocated that brat felt. He deserved the torture for what his people had done to the country. For what they'd done to him personally. To his friends and his family. His home that no longer existed.

…_can't even tell if it's night or day anymore!_

It was all too fitting, actually. If anything, he should be laughing in the boy's face about how perfect this all was. He was right, after all. Everything really was going great for all of them. They were doing what was right for this country, and that's why they'd managed to win in the first place. The sooner that brat realized that, the better. They were the heroes of this story!

…_like some pet!_

Those words caused Taj's thoughts to freeze. Groaning and dragging a claw through his hair irritably, the young revolutionary slowly started down the hallway again, his mind turning to memories he'd much rather keep dormant.

…

It was late when Raza heard the door to his bedroom softly open and close, accompanied by the soft padding of Taj's footfall as he slipped into the room.

The shark +anima set aside the forms he was looking over and turned around. He was used to Taj popping in unexpectedly with unusual or worrisome news, but usually the younger +anima had a look of confidence on his face and even a smirk as he delivered the worst of information.

This time the guy actually looked his age. Still a confused teenager, not yet twenty. He was staring at the ground and his claws fisted at his sides.

Raza waited patiently, and after a few seconds the lizard +anima looked up. An angry expression was on his face, but his eyes had a hint of alarm in them.

"It's not true," insisted Taj suddenly.

"What's not?" asked Raza. "Does this have to do with Myrrha?"

"We don't treat him like a pet!"

_Ah_, thought Raza, leaning back in his chair. "Bad memories, kid?"

"Don't call me that! What if the others hear? And he has no idea how well we're taking care of him!"

"Like a pet," said Raza simply, nodding.

Taj opened his mouth to argue.

"A very pretty pet," continued Raza, eyes narrowing mischievously. "Only brought out when he's useful, dressed up in pretty clothes for the visual pleasure of others, trapped in a position with no real meaning."

"It's nothing like that!" growled Taj. "And e-even i-if…" he started stuttering, and quickly cleared his throat. "He deserves it! Blasted royal! It's all his family's fault…"

"Not really his though…" continued Raza, pretending to be thoughtful as he watched Taj out of the corner of his eye.

Taj knew exactly what he was doing, and he glared heatedly. "Don't DO that! I can't stand it!"

"Face facts, Taj. How we treat Myrrha is no different from how you were treated. Though only difference is there's no way in hell I'm letting Ilham or Fatin put a collar on him."

Taj's face grew stiff and blanched around his scales. "N-no collars!"

"Of course not."

"And you went too far with the biting the other day! The kid still has difficulty walking!"

"That _was_ the point. I don't like going so far either, but if we can't count on him not to escape, we have to make it so he can't escape."

Taj looked shaky, and he fumbled forwards and sat on the bed. "Damn…" he mumbled, covering his face with his claws. "This isn't right, Raza."

"It's what we need to do, Taj. We'll make it better for Myrrha once he comes around. The kid is just too smart and stubborn to see things our way just yet. And he's blinded by that stupid massacre. I agree with the Angel; there was no reason to go so far as the children, wives, and servants. That was ridiculous."

Raza frowned. His words obviously weren't helping his young friend, who was now actually chewing the tips of his claws on his left hand. A nervous habit he'd supposedly abandoned years ago.

Taj noticed what he was doing and shamefacedly dropped his claws to his lap. "I can't stand it, Raza. I tell myself again and again it's not the same. That _we're_ not the same. But I see him, pacing that locked room in circles, half-insane and bored out of your mind, even while you're dreading the moment the door opens… It's me, Raza."

The shark +anima leaned back in his chair, all mockery gone from his attitude, now simply serious. "What do you suggest we do, then, Taj?"

Taj blinked, surprised.

"Let me rephrase that. If there was one thing that would've made it all bearable, what would it be?"

…

(flashback)

Taj had been a slave… no, Taj had been a _pet _for the past two years, though he'd almost swear it was since the day he was born. He couldn't even remember what freedom was anymore. What his parents looked like. The color of the beads and the traditional way his people had styled them into bracelets and armbands. What had they meant again…?

Every day was the same. A life of luxury, trapped in a windowless room that might as well be a cage. Sleeping on an overstuffed bed in silk pajamas, so different from anything he'd slept on or worn as an island Kym-un-Ker. Waking up from the daze by two servants, though now certainly only one was necessary, who held him down as they dressed him up luxuriously in various silks and dresses and outfits, decorating him with pounds of flowers and jewels.

One of those gems alone would have fed his people for years… Not that they'd ever needed money, knowing how to live off the land. Or at least they had, before the Sailandians had appeared…

Though it now seemed like a distant nightmare, his family running for their lives, being shot at and bound and thrown into sacks. Himself, being cornered in his own home, in the corner of his parents' room, and the greedy eyes of those men as they, much more carefully than with the others, tied his arms behind his back and hurried off with him.

Then he'd been taken to the new manor that seemed to have appeared overnight. A manor near the sea, now flooded with ships the like he'd never seen before, surrounded by smaller buildings that his family and friends were being thrown roughly into.

Instead of being taken to one of the shacks, he was taken into the manor, and held in place as a huge, fat man examined him with slimy fingers before proclaiming that he'd keep this pretty one.

And so, when he wasn't locked in his room, he was taken to sit next to the fat man, his hands in gentle padded handcuffs locked in front of him, a collar around his neck with an actual _leash _that the fat man had taken to using if he went from one room to another.

He'd long since given up hope of ever being able to run away… until it appeared right before him, bright as day, just begging him to take the chance.

He never should've.

The Kym-un-Ker, his people – or, rather, those that remained on the island – had staged some sort of revolt. Without thinking to return his pet to its 'cage', the fat man and his guards charged out to deal with the misbehaving slaves.

Leaving Taj alone, with nothing in his way. Only an open door, leading to the 'town'… and after that the rainforest he'd grown up in, that he was suddenly flooded with longing memories of…

He went for it. Without even looking for a key for his cuffs, without thinking to take off his leash, he charged out the door and for the forest.

The enraged screaming of his master reached his ears seconds before he disappeared into the undergrowth.

And so the pet was able to enjoy half a day's freedom, or as much freedom as a child can get with a collar locked around his neck and his hands in handcuffs before him.

Taj was lounging as comfortably as he could in a large tree, satisfied and peaceful, watching one of the island's rare, and he'd once been taught sacred, komodo dragons lounging in the sun.

And then the peace vanished as someone shouted in discovery and excitement.

The next few minutes were a blur. The dragon slithered away, to hide in the dense undergrowth, watching the events curiously as they unfolded.

It almost seemed to smirk as the beautiful boy's eyes locked with its own. As if it understood the desperate plea in the child's mind.

_I want to live. I want to be free. I want to fight!_

And the boy transformed, in seconds turning the tables on the man pinning him down, his new fangs closing around the man's arm and biting down, injecting poison deep into his bloodstream. His new tail whipping around for balance as he spun to face his new attackers as several more burst from behind the trees, surrounding him with various weapons and exclaiming loudly to each other.

He fought. He lost.

And he became even more of a pet and a treasure than he'd been before.

(end flashback)

…

Taj just barely managed to hold back a shudder at the resurfaced memories. It had only gotten worse from there. A muzzle around his mouth in addition to the leash and handcuffs, a _real_ cage inside of that cursed room that he'd be forced into, rarely taken out of. Instead of being led around the manor to show guests, they would be taken to him. Gawking in wonder at the strange reptilian _beast._

He would have been stuck there his entire life. Just an exotic pet for a cruel and selfish man with too much time and money on his hands. He _would have _been, at least, if it wasn't for a young shark +anima who'd taken to freeing slaves while hunting down the pirates that had killed his own family.

"A window," he answered Raza's question. "A window would've made it all bearable."

…

Myrrha glared up at the door when Taj returned about half an hour later. As all of the revolutionaries always did, the door was shut before he could make any move to slide out. This time though, the young adult didn't go to lock it, instead just keeping his hand on the knob as he leaned against the door.

"I got you a new room," Taj said before the silver boy could speak. He seemed to be purposefully not watching the child as he made his announcement.

Myrrha stared at him in confusion, the information going over his head for a second. The almost blank expression that had been on Taj's face quickly transformed into one of his amused smirks as he continued.

"You'd better be grateful, too. I didn't _have _to do anything for you, after all," he added.

Myrrha instantly started glaring at the young man, arms crossed and practically snarling in anger.

"Like I'd ever be grateful to any of you. I don't see how any room _you _would give me could be any better than this cage anyway," he spat.

Taj simply rolled his eyes at the remark, reaching out and grabbing the boy's wrist as he started to drag him along. Thankfully, the fake king didn't protest very much as the two made their way. At least, no more than he usually did.

It wasn't long before they ended up in front of the correct door, only one floor up from where Myrrha had been stowed before. Grabbing the knob, Taj quickly opened the door and pushed the young boy inside, letting go of his wrist in order to quickly lock the door behind them.

The komodo dragon +anima listened for the complaining and backtalk to start, looking the silver boy over in confusion when it didn't come.

Instead, Myrrha was just staring, slowly scanning around the room with a look of confusion and surprise on his face. If Taj didn't hate this kid - which really, he did, he'd only done this so that he would shut up - he might have thought it actually looked kind of cute.

A huge room, obviously one of the old royal suites. The bed alone was the size of the last room he'd been in. A set of doors on either side, wide open to a library on one side and a huge bathroom on the other. But the silver haired boy's eyes were glued to the first thing his eyes fell on when he was pushed into the room…

"A balcony?" Myrrha asked, the bewilderment on his face reaching his voice and his eyes not leaving the curtained doorway. Obviously waiting for some sort of sick punchline or something, since no way could this be real because…

Taj smirked again as he crossed his arms smugly, leaning against the wall while he answered.

"Yep. I told you that you'd better be grateful," he said.

The silver boy didn't say anything for a moment, before starting to run towards the small balcony without any warning, flinging aside and past the curtains before Taj could even register what was happening.

"H-hey! Don't go jumping out the window now! You said you _weren't _suicidal!" he yelled, quickly chasing after the boy.

When he looked past the curtain though, the silver king was simply standing by the railing, staring out at the sky and surrounding city as if it was the first time he'd ever seen anything like it. His hands actually seemed to start shaking as they tightly gripped the railing, making Taj worried that he was actually going to start _crying_.

"I _hate _you people," was all the boy mumbled though.

The reptilian +anima simply chuckled, ruffling the child's hair and just barely managed to pull his hand back without being bitten.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're welcome, kid," he said, turning away and leaving him on the balcony. In a few moments he was out of the room, door locked behind him and sighing as he leaned against the hallway wall.

He absolutely hated that little brat. He represented the years of mind numbing torture he'd been put through, being ripped from his home and toted around as some pet. He deserved everything they did to him.

It wasn't anything like what had happened to him. This was a completely different scenario. He was _nothing_ like those monsters who'd put a muzzle on him and stuck him in a cage, treating him like he wasn't even human.

So, why then did it feel like he was desperately trying to make up for something horrible when he gave him that new room? And why did he actually feel just a little bit happy at seeing the boy's stunned face?

Shaking his head, Taj started away from the room. They were the heroes, the good guys. They were doing what they needed to do so that those ideals could be preserved. They had been fighting for equality and justice and they had won. Bad guys just don't win.

He _knew _they were doing the right thing, no matter how _wrong _it all actually felt.

* * *

><p>Hehe, I feel like I'm allowed to say how much I love this chapter since I only wrote half of it, so it doesn't come off as vain as if it was completely my own. I have a thing for backstories, you can probably expect more of that to come around as the story progresses. And possibly something else in the far off future (hooray for vagueness).<br>Oh, and Kym-un-ker is spelled that way on purpose. Since Taj wasn't from the mountain tribes, but an offshoot on an island chain, it's a bit different.

Well, like always, thanks for reading and please review.


	16. One Year

Hello readers. Yay, it's time for a new chapter. I have an announcement to make though, in that I'm going to be doing NaNoWriMo this year, so I won't be able to update at all during November. Sorry about that, but updates should return as normal in December. Wish me luck though, this'll be my first time trying.  
>As always, this chapter was Beta read by Kay Hau.<p>

Chapter 13 – One Year

It'd been a month since Myrrha had been placed in his new room. He was actually able to walk again without any of the crippling pain, thankfully, although it was still hard if he tried to put too much pressure on it.

Much to his annoyance, he had to admit that where he was staying now was much better than the tiny space he'd been stuffed into before. He actually had a bed, for one thing, and just being able to see outside certainly helped to keep him from going completely insane. The library and pool-like bath connected to his main room certainly didn't hurt either…

Of course, none of that made his overall situation any better, not by a long shot. Those monsters were still the bane of his existence, and he was just as determined as ever to get out of there.

It was late, the sun having set several hours ago. The silver boy growled as he sat on his knees by the door, glaring at the doorknob as he roughly jabbed a skinny metal skewer for food that he'd stolen a few days ago into the lock. He'd spent nearly two hours last night trying to figure out how to pick it, with no avail.

He'd been here for nearly a half hour so far tonight, with pretty much the exact same results. What little patience he had was definitely thinning.

Urg, how had Keane managed to do this so easily? Where in the world did he even _learn_ something like this? It wasn't exactly a skill they used in the palace.

Finally, he heard the lock click, the knob suddenly twisting from the tough grip he had it in. Myrrha sat frozen for a moment, almost unable to believe that it'd finally worked. He had no idea what he'd actually done, having nearly taken to just stabbing at the poor lock near the end, but whatever it had been had somehow worked.

A smirk of triumph started to form on the young boy's face. It was late, they wouldn't be checking up on him until morning. If he could just be quiet and keep from being seen, he could actually make his way out of this hell hole like he'd tried to do unsuccessfully a little over a month ago.

Pushing the door open slowly and quietly, Myrrha's hand dropped from the knob, the smile on his face falling just as fast.

God _damn_ it all.

Raza was leaning up against the wall opposite of his door, a confident, knowing smirk on his face as he stared down at the dumbfounded child. Without saying a word he walked straight up to the fake king still kneeling on the floor, leaning down and plucking the forgotten skewer right out of his hand.

"Ah, I had been wondering where this had gone to. Now, just where did you think you were heading off to, my king?" the shark +anima asked, definitely seeming to enjoy having caught Myrrha before he could even step foot out of his room.

The shocked look on his face slowly managed to transform into an annoyed and hateful glare. One thought kept running through his head though as he waited for whatever punishment Raza would decide to inflict on him.

He'd been _so_close.

Next time he'd get out for sure.

…

Keane glanced over his shoulder towards the surprising amount of brush that surrounded the river near their camp. His anima was out and straining to hear every little sound, making absolutely sure that he was alone.

After a few minutes the paranoia that someone was going to come along started to fade slightly, and the boy sat down on his knees by the edge of the river. Setting a small bundle in his hands to the side for now, he pulled the old wrap around his head down and leaned over to try to get a look at himself in the water.

Despite being rather clear and clean, they were using this water back at camp for drinking and cooking and cleaning everything after all, it wasn't exactly the best reflective surface in the world. Pushing himself away from the river, he ran a hand through his tangled hair, a frown on his face.

He didn't need to see himself to know why he was here. He'd been with the revolution for two months now, and he hadn't tried to redo his hair since the first time after escaping the palace. He was amazed that it hadn't faded away yet, but that didn't mean that his hair wasn't growing. Even without seeing himself, he could tell that the roots were probably starting to show red once again.

Not about to waste any more time and chance someone coming along and seeing him, Keane quickly started rinsing his hair in the river. He tried to keep his hair from getting wet most of the time, since really; he wasn't quite sure what he was even doing, having made up most of this as he went along. He didn't want to risk the color to come out if he got it wet too often.

When he pulled his head away from the water, he used the old cloth that he'd brought along to dry it as best as he could. Pulling it away, there were several brown blotches all throughout the fabric from the old coloring. Pulling some of his still damp hair in front of his eyes, he could start to see the red underneath beginning to show through.

Letting go, the mouse +anima quickly turned back over to the other item he'd brought with him. Just a small bottle of brown clothes dye.

Grabbing the already stained cloth, he put some of the dye on it before rubbing it over his hair to keep himself from actually having to touch it and stain his skin. He couldn't help but cringe slightly as he rubbed it through his hair, the dye stinging his scalp and smell making his eyes water.

That was fine though, since so far he'd managed to keep from being recognized. He was pretty sure that if his hair just started to randomly grown in another color it would be a _tad_ suspicious.

Once he was sure that his head was completely covered in the stinging dye he pulled his knees up to his chest, just sitting there and staring out at the river as he waited. He had no idea how long he should wait, or if waiting would even do anything, but that's what he'd done the first time, and his hair had changed colors.

After about fifteen minutes the fear that someone was going to come and see him became too much and he leaned over to the river again, rinsing the dye out of his hair. Once again he tried to dry it as best as he could, using the side of the cloth that _hadn't_ been covered in dye this time.

Pushing his hair into his line of sight, he saw that it was the same dull brown color once again. Despite this, he was still frowning as he blew the slightly damp strands away from his face.

The color of his hair had always been something different about him, something that set him apart from the other princes. Sure, it wasn't _quite_as rare or stunning as Myrrha's hair, but it was still something he liked about himself, even if he'd never noticed he liked it until he had to change it.

The brunette threw the dirty cloth and empty bottle into the river, watching them float away from him.

What did it even matter? He'd put up with this along with a whole slew of other degrading things over the past two months, he could continuing pretending he was fine and happy with all of it for as long as he needed to.

He just hoped dearly that it wouldn't be too much longer now.

…

Myrrha was rather surprised, and it was very hard to keep that from showing on his face. When he said that he would like to see Kazana again nearly four months ago now, he didn't think that was ever _actually_ going to happen. Or at least, if he did it would be during one of the frivolous appearances that those four liked to design for him.

He certainly didn't think that they would be in his own room, alone save for Ilham – who wasn't actually in the room but standing outside, listening. A silent warning for Myrrha to not let anything too dangerous slip to the young general.

"Thank you for wanting to see me, my king. I didn't think you would after so long, especially seeing how busy you've been," Kazana said. Myrrha managed to make himself nod, trying to bring himself back to the situation as he understood it.

For some reason or another, one of those four had decided that it would be a good idea to let Kazana see him. It was probably some sort of test to see how far they could let him go and if he slipped up.

And as much as he hated to admit it, it would probably be better for him in the long run to play along for right now. Let them lower their guard for a moment, since dang it none of his numerous escape attempts had managed to work yet, and it wasn't for lack of trying. Maybe it was time for a different tactic.

"You can just call me Myrrha," he said after a moment. He could tell Kazana was hesitant about that, although why the silver boy didn't know. He knew Myrrha wasn't really the king, so he shouldn't feel obligated to call him that. He hated being called 'my king' anyway. He wasn't anyone's king, and he didn't want to be. And it was…

It was what _Raza_ called him.

"Um, if you insist," he said hesitantly. Myrrha just nodding, showing that he did indeed insist. "Well, King Myrrha," Kazana started again, not seeming to notice the frown that formed on the boy's face at his continued usage of the title King, "I've heard you've been adjusting um, better than when we last saw each other." Reluctantly he nodded, going along with the lie.

"Yes, the change was… difficult, at first," he said, avoiding eye contact with the older teen, "I've started to get used to it though," Myrrha turned to actually look at Kazana now.

He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for. Just something that showed that he knew more than the deceived fool he seemed to be. That he actually understood what he was going through, and wanted to _really_ help him. A hint of that genuine concern and desire to protect him from when Raza had showed up that day.

"But… I just don't know if I'm really helping here," Myrrha said at last. Much to Myrrha's annoyance and disappointment, the teen started to smile, quickly trying to wave away any of his concerns.

"Of course you're helping. Having you on the throne has really inspired the country, and you're the one who made it possible to capture the palace in the first place. It's alright for you to let others take care of things while you're still learning," he reassured.

It was extremely difficult for Myrrha to keep himself from positively deflating at that answer. Kazana wasn't ever going to be any help. The idiotic trusting idealist was too wrapped up in his vision of the country that he couldn't see what was really going on, even when it was right in front of him. He couldn't see the scars under his clothes, and Myrrha was too afraid of getting more to show him.

Despite this, the silver boy forced himself to crack a small smile, which instantly seemed to reassure Kazana of everything he had just said. Myrrha decided that even though he absolutely hated that the stubborn kid-general couldn't see what was really happening, he couldn't help but like _something_ about him. He was just a bit clueless on what that actually was.

"Thanks," he managed to say at last, "That helps a lot."

Well, at least he had someone to talk to other than those four.

…

Cooro was flying around the center of Stella. He had some free time after a meeting about how they were going to continue to prevent any counter revolutions from springing up. It'd been a little over five months since the new king had been sworn in, and things seemed to be starting to calm down slightly, but it was still much too early to really say anything.

Thinking of their new king, Cooro had been a bit disappointed that he hadn't been at the meeting. It would have been nice to see him up close and actually meet him, instead of the far away glimpses he'd gotten during the coronation. Of course, he could hardly expect the king to be at every meeting.

The black winged boy actually found himself flying rather close to the royal palace now, having unconsciously wandered there as he thought. He made sure to keep a safe distance though. Even though he was pretty well known, that didn't mean that he wouldn't be stopped and questioned by guards if he got too close.

The country was still a bit unstable, and even if it wasn't, they couldn't chance anything. While he couldn't fathom a reason why a +anima would want to attack the palace or hurt the king or anything of the sort, they still had to be cautious about anything like that happening. So, of course, bird and other flying +anima weren't allowed to just leisurely fly over the walls of the palace.

And so, staying a safe distance away, the crow +anima casually looked over the large palace. It really was impressive, and he didn't spend a lot of time in the capital, so it never became boring to look at when he was here.

There were a lot of balconies coming off of the sides of the palace, and looking up ahead Cooro was a bit surprised to see something that shimmered silver on one of them. Focusing on the figure, it was not difficult in the least to identify him.

The young king was standing on the balcony, leaning forward on the small wall and seemingly staring off at nothing. Cooro quickly flew over to a roof not far from where he already was, still keeping King Myrrha in his line of sight, but able to make sure that he didn't actually see _him_ watching.

It was a lot closer than he had been during the coronation, but it still wasn't quite close enough to make out much of an expression or anything like that. Or maybe he didn't really have any expression on his face at the moment. His eyes seemed empty as he stared out at the middle distance.

Thinking about it though, that really shouldn't surprise him. He was the king after all, he probably had to think about and work through so many complex problems that it would be nice to just be able to get a moment to calm down and stare off at nothing.

Even though it wasn't quite as close as Cooro would have liked – he wasn't about to risk getting attacked by guards to go up and say hi; even if he couldn't see any, there were no doubt some winged +anima making sure the king was safe – he was still able to see the pretty, young king rather clearly.

He was so pale, but it didn't make him look sickly or anything like that. His clothes were a lot simpler than they had been during the coronation, but simple looked nice on him. Besides, anything too complex or extravagant would probably just distract from his pretty hair and eyes.

Cooro sat on the roof for a few moments, just watching the young ruler. It wasn't that he was doing anything particularly interesting. Mostly he was just standing there silently, blank eyes not focusing on any one thing. Cooro just liked looking at pretty things, and he didn't really get to very often.

And that's just what he was, something really pretty. Well, that wasn't the _only_ thing he was, obviously. He was also the king and a +anima and probably a whole bunch of other things Cooro didn't even know about. None of that took away from the fact that he also almost looked like a piece of jewelry, something made of shiny silver and sapphires.

It wasn't long before King Myrrha had quickly spun around and a figure walked through the curtain behind him. Cooro instantly recognized the shark +anima Raza, who bowed just slightly to the king as he spoke, although he wasn't able to actually hear anything he said.

He didn't know Raza very well personally, but he seemed like a pretty nice guy, and Kazana had worked with him several times. He'd also heard that he worked with Ilham for years, practically from when the foundations of the revolution were just beginning.

The two talked very briefly before leaving the balcony. Cooro hadn't been able to see the king's face during that time, but he guessed Raza was just getting him for some sort of meeting or other duty.

Cooro stood up, starting to fly towards where Senri was staying just outside of the capital. He needed to tell him about the meeting anyway, and he'd already wasted enough time staring at pretty things.

…

Too long. He was taking too freaking long.

Keane frowned as he threw a few rocks off at nothing. It was night, and he was sitting near the edge of their current camp. His mouse ears were out, hidden underneath his headscarf as always as his own mind continued to yell at him.

_Six months._He'd been here for over half a year now and he hadn't done _anything_. He kept trying to tell himself that it wasn't his fault that it was taking so long, things like this took time. He was trying to get close to the king of a country right after a bloody revolution. You can't do that in a week.

Even still, something inside of him was seething at the passage of time. Yes, it would probably take years before he could ever dream of being in the same room as Myrrha again, and he was delusional to think that he would be able to extract personal revenge on every single one of the monsters that had destroyed his entire life, but surely there was something he could do _now_ instead of just helping those same monsters.

He couldn't think of what that actually was though. He couldn't just start destroying things, and if he ran off or disappeared Cooro would notice.

Cooro…

The 'Angel of Death' had certainly not been like how he'd imagined him. It was hard for Keane to remember that he was a ruthless revolutionary figurehead most of the time, especially when he was acting like a cheerful little kid.

He _was_ though, and that's what he had to remind himself that over and over again. That this was one of the people who had sought out the death of his family, who had somehow turned the only relative he had left into an inhuman monster. So he didn't like him. He _couldn't_like him and he was certainly not stalling in his plans for revenge because the so called 'Angel of Death' seemed much more focused on the 'Angel' part of that title than he did on the 'Death'.

A bit hesitant, Keane allowed another part of his +anima to come out, both hands transforming to grow hair and claws.

There _was_ something he could do right now, and if he was careful then no one would know it was him.

Walking as quietly as he could, he snuck up to the tent that he knew Cooro slept in. The boy waited for a long while, just listening to make sure that no one inside was awake and moving. After a few moments he finally decided it was safe and slowly pulled open the curtain and peaked inside.

When he looked inside, the first thing he saw was something turning towards him, terrifying the child and nearly causing him to start running right then and there. When his eyes focused he saw Senri with a small book in his lap, clearly confused as he looked at him. Keane clung to the curtain as he forced himself to start to speak quietly; actually ripping a few small holes through the fabric with his claws.

"O-oh, Senri, I didn't know you were awake. Sorry, I couldn't sleep. Um, I'll just leave now," he said quickly, unable to keep his voice from quivering. Before he was able to move, the Kim-un-kur teen shook his head, motioning for him to come inside. Barely able to keep himself from shaking, Keane tip-toed inside, awkwardly sitting next to the large bear +anima.

Senri flipped through the book a bit, although Keane wasn't really paying attention to it at all. It wasn't until the teen had stopped on a page and held up a pressed flower did he even focus on him instead of having his eyes dart around the room as if every shadow was about to attack him.

"Kaveh," the teen said quiet, using the name he believed to be the younger boy's as he showed him the flower. It had pretty little orange petals and Keane had seen flowers like it growing along the sides of rivers a few times.

"Yeah, that's really nice Senri. L-look, it's late; I should probably get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow," he said, quickly standing up at he did. The teen just nodded, afterward the mouse +anima practically fleeing from the tent before heading to his own sleeping area.

That hadn't gone like he wanted it to, but it wasn't his fault. He couldn't do anything while Senri of all people was there. He just had to wait. He had to keep being patient.

He'd be able to be alone with Cooro sooner or later, and _then_ he could get his revenge.

…

Nana waited nervously in the small front room of the house she shared with several other +anima. No one else was home now, which was actually quite rare. Even though everyone else had managed to find a few low paying jobs, their schedules were usually so different that at least one of them was with her at any given time.

She was trying to focus on mending the torn blanket in her lap, but her eyes kept darting over toward the door every few minutes, anxiously anticipating for someone to knock.

It'd been maybe seven or eight months, she couldn't remember which exactly, since the others had let her move in with them when +anima officially became free people. In that time she'd been able to help out with keeping the house in order as well as find several small odd jobs here and there to bring in a bit extra money, but so far nothing extremely stable or all too helpful.

That was why she was so nervous now, not wanting to leave the front room in case she happened to miss anything. She'd applied for a job as a maid at the palace a few days ago and she was supposed to find out _today_if she'd gotten the job.

The brunette girl could barely even imagine how absolutely life changing getting a job like this would be. Actually being able to work at the _palace_. One of the girls she lived with had heard that they were looking to hire and suggested the job to her, thankfully, or else she would have never known about it. Just the idea that she would be able to work in such a place, even as just a maid was mind boggling.

And thus Nana was _very_nervous as she waited for someone to show up and tell her whether or not she would finally be able to have a _real_ job and make her own money and not have to rely on other people anymore.

She'd just barely been able to distract herself in her sewing for a few minutes when a soft knock came at the door, causing her to instantly jump to her feet in surprise. In an instant she was over at the door, pausing for just a moment to take a deep breath in an attempt at calming herself before opening it.

"Hello," she said politely to a tall teen standing outside of her door. From the looks of it he seemed to be a rabbit +anima. He smiled at her before turning to flip through a bag on his shoulder.

"Hello, I have a delivery for a Nana Alba?" he asked, pulling out a small package. The young girl instantly nodded, excitement and fear starting to bubble up inside of her.

"Yes, that's me," she said, taking the package as he handed it over to her. She had to resist the urge to open it up right then and there, quickly saying goodbye to the mailman before shutting the door and running back over to the worn couch.

She didn't bother to look over the outside of the letter before opening it, instantly unfolding the paper inside and starting to read. She was absolutely terrified that it would be a no, but she couldn't handle the worry of waiting to make any longer in finding out.

Scanning over the first couple of lines, it actually took for a moment to comprehend what it was saying, and when she did Nana wasn't able to keep herself from squealing in excitement. She'd gotten the job! Forcing herself to read further, it told her a few things, like where she was supposed to report on her first day and when she started. Next week.

Yes, yes, _yes_. Her life was really starting to change now. She would finally be able to take care of herself. She wouldn't have to rely on others, and she could actually make her own way in the world.

She could finally start living a life that was her's.

…

Myrrha sat in his room, rereading one of the books from his library. He wasn't really paying all that much attention to what he was reading though, his mind having wandered quite a bit.

How long had he been trapped here now? It was hard to keep track of the passage of time, the days seeming to mostly blend into each other after a while. It wasn't as bad as that week trapped inside of that tiny room without any access to outside from so long ago, but it was really starting to become an almost hopeless routine.

Most of the time he wasn't doing anything, just sitting in his room reading or staring out on the balcony or on rare occasions going into the pool-bath attached to his room. Most of the time he would just try to break the drainage grate on the side of the wall in an attempt to get out, but the metal was secured to the wall too tightly for him to pull it off, and when he'd attempted to work his way to scratch through it Fatin had somehow found out and dragged him out of the water. That now tended to happen on a regular basis.

The only things that would really break up that monotony was whenever they would drag him to some meeting where he would just sit at the front of the table and not speak anything but prepared greetings, occasionally allowed to nod his head every so often. How none of the people at these things thought that was suspicious, he had no idea. Those didn't happen very often though, he guessed just enough so that no one noticed that their king tended to disappear most of the time.

Other than that, he would just attempt to escape, get caught or fail, then wait until he had another chance. Sometimes Kazana would stop by, attempting to reassure him and always saying the exact wrong thing.

Raza would punish him whenever he felt like it. Ilham would insist on sparing whenever he was back from working out in the field. Fatin was cold and distant like always whenever she interacted with him, which mostly consisted of being in the same room with him while ignoring him. And Taj would taunt and tease him, although never being quite as rough as any of the others, randomly bringing him new books or other things to amuse himself with that the silver boy would callously brush off, but always end up taking anyway.

Just how long had this been going on now though? It'd been months, probably close to a year now. A whole year trapped as the fake king by a bunch of monsters…

Slamming his book shut Myrrha stood up, walking over to his bed and collapsing into it. He couldn't think about things like this. He had to keep telling himself that it didn't matter how long it took him, one year, two, three, five, _ten._ He'd get out. He wasn't going to stop no matter what.

They'd let their guard down eventually. Give him an inch too much freedom. One of his plans would finally work. Something. He just had to keep trying.

It was a new year, after all. Maybe this one would be better.

* * *

><p>This chapter was actually really fun to write. I was testing out to see if I could 'show' a time skip. Hopefully I was successful in that.<br>Well, thanks for reading. I would really, really like it if you reviewed, since so far this story hasn't gotten much feedback from many people yet, and I really want to know what you all think of it. So super thank you if you review.


	17. The Anniversary

Forgive me! I'm so sorry for taking almost, what has it been, three, four months, to update this story. After NaNoWriMo (which I did manage to complete, yay?) I just got busy, and it was very difficult to just get this chapter down on paper for some reason. So very special thanks to my Beta reader Kay Hau for this chapter, probably still wouldn't of had it done if it wasn't for her.

Chapter 14 – The Anniversary

Myrrha growled as Ilham carried him effortlessly over his shoulder through the hallways. The silver haired boy knew by now that he was simply doing it to be degrading, but that didn't make it any less annoying. It'd been so long now, you'd think the tiger +anima would get tired of carting him around and just let him actually walk from place to place instead. The others did, although Fatin still tied him up.

Taj had stopped a while ago, just taking to leading the small boy by his wrist instead. And sometimes his hair, whenever Myrrha was being particularly annoying or going too far in his attempts to escape the reptilian +anima's grasp.

"Do I actually get to know what's going on this time?" Myrrha asked, growing tired of his fruitless attempts to escape the man's grip. Ilham chuckled at the question, shifting the child on his shoulder afterwards.

"Raza will explain everything, princess," he reassured the boy.

A glare instantly set itself onto the boy's face, and he started squirming again, this time less as an attempt at escape and more to just irritate Ilham as he had to try to hold him in place. That stupid name didn't even make sense anymore, since he wasn't technically a prince, but the 'king'.

He didn't bother to say any of this though, instead opting to stay silent, which was so unlike how he used to be whenever he heard something he perceived as an insult. He knew for a fact that Ilham wasn't going to stop, and there was no way he was going to insist on being called 'king'. That would just be twisted into queen or something anyway, so there wasn't any point.

"Why couldn't the lazy shark come and get me himself, then?" Myrrha asked, even though truthfully he would take the least amount of time with Raza as he could possibly get. He just needed to complain about _something._ Ilham shifted the boy roughly once again, nearly causing him to fall to the ground.

"Well then, I'll make sure to tell him you'd like to see him around more," the tiger +anima told him mockingly.

Myrrha growled again, deciding to just keep his mouth shut this time so that he wouldn't dig himself any deeper than he already was. If there was one thing he learned in all this time, it was when to shut up.

They reached the door not long after that, Ilham swiftly opening it and stepping inside. Just as he had said, Raza was waiting for them, sitting behind a large desk and seeming more preoccupied with the papers in front of him than the two who'd just came in. Seeing him focused on whatever work there was, mouth shut into a straight line as he concentrated, he actually looked slightly normal for once. Not like the insane sadist Myrrha knew him as.

Then, in less than a second, that illusion of normalcy was shattered. Raza turned to look over at them, a large smirk showcasing those razor sharp teeth that had caused Myrrha pain more times than he could even count anymore, and that calculating, manipulative gleam back in his eyes.

"Ah, how nice of you to come, my king," Raza said, standing up from his seat behind the desk and starting over to the two.

Myrrha rolled his eyes, still hoisted up on Ilham's shoulder, glaring off at the wall and refusing to look the intimidating man in the eyes.

"As if I had a choice," he growled, as rebellious as ever. The shark +anima seemed to ignore him for now, instead turning to Ilham.

"I'll take him back," was all that he said.

Myrrha could feel Ilham nod before setting him ungracefully to the floor before leaving the room without another word. The silver boy instantly got to his feet, instinctively taking a few steps away from where Raza stood as he did so. He'd been conditioned over the past year to leave as much space between him and the older man as he possibly could.

"So, what is this all about?" Myrrha asked, attempting to get this little meeting over as fast as he could. Raza quickly walked over to him, effortlessly closing the small gap Myrrha had created, knowing full well that the boy was much too proud to back away again. It would seem like he was running.

After all, not once had the boy admitted to being afraid of his captors. Disgusted, enraged, even in pain because of, but never _afraid_.

The shark +anima placed a hand on Myrrha's shoulder, leading him over to the desk almost as a teacher would. When Myrrha attempted to twist out of his grip, he clamped his hand sharply, finger nails digging into his skin and causing a sting of pain to run through the boy, forcing him to continue.

Better to just go along with it for now, avoid any extra pain. That was starting to become his plan of action more and more as time went on, although he denied it venomously in his head. He was just waiting for the right moment was all. If it came, and he was too torn up to take it from fighting losing battles the whole time, he would regret it.

"Are you aware of what the date is, my king?" Raza asked, taking a seat back down at the desk again. Myrrha managed to escape his grip now, although in the back of his mind he knew it was just because Raza had allowed him to.

"I don't even know what day of the week it is," Myrrha grumbled, frowning in confusion at the random question and rubbing the shoulder Raza had been gripping absently. Raza chuckled, amused by the boy's admittance of confusion.

"The anniversary of your coronation will be in one week from today," he explained.

Myrrha simply nodded, trying to figure out why that would be of any importance. It didn't take him long to think of a few reasons, especially with knowing how these four liked to paint a picture of what a happy and free country this was now.

A sickening feeling was already forming in his stomach before Raza even began to continue.

"There will be a celebration, of course. A fair in the town for our citizens, as well as something in the palace for our more… _powerful_ figures. Think of it as a national holiday, if you will," Raza informed.

Myrrha took in all of this, not surprised in the least. The shark +anima wasn't getting to the main point yet though.

"And what will 'the king' do during all this?" he asked, watching as Raza's smirk widened even more. While Fatin always hated it when he asked questions and never answered him, Raza seemed to love it. Sure, he wouldn't always give him a straight answer, but he still loved being the one in control. The one with the answers.

Believe it or not, he'd once gotten out of a beating by asking about the ethics involved in torture. It actually ended up being quite the interesting conversation… not that he'd ever admit that to said sadist.

"There is a simple speech we've prepared for you. Memorize that, and that's all you'll be needed for during the night," Raza explained. Myrrha simply nodded, already knowing the uselessness in fighting back. Just go along with what they said, say the stupid speech, and continue looking for chances to escape. Maybe there would be one during their little celebration, if things got busy enough. He might find a chance to slip away.

The silver haired boy quickly filed the thought away in his mind. It might be hard with so many people around, but if they all thought he was really the king (not like Kazana, knowing half-truths and such), then he might not have a problem convincing anyone to let him go wherever he wanted. Sure, the chances of those four lowering their guard on him so much during something like this was slim to none, but that didn't mean he couldn't plan.

"So nice of you not to put up a fight for once, my king. It seems you're finally starting to come around," Raza said, immediately dragging the boy out of his thoughts. Myrrha scowled at him, a fierce glare set on his face.

"You people are sick," he snarled, bitterness dripping from his every word.

It only caused Raza to chuckle, knowing that words were all the prince had now. He would never attempt to actually attack the older man, not after how much stronger he'd proven himself time and time again. Not even after the first day, really. All of this only serving to make Myrrha even more enraged.

"How rude, and after all we've done for you," Raza said.

Myrrha allowed his teeth to transform. He'd gotten much better at controlling it over the past year, just barely managing to keep himself from lunging at the shark +anima.

"You've done _nothing _for me! You're monsters! Beasts! I hate all of you!" he yelled.

Raza didn't seem fazed at all, and the menacing, manipulative gleam in his eyes actually vanished. It was replaced with a strange look of seriousness as he folded his hands together, leaning slightly forward.

"And why is that?" he asked.

"Huh?" was all Myrrha said though, temporarily knocked out of his rage by his confusion over the question.

"Why do you hate us?" Raza asked simply, seeming completely serious.

Myrrha just stood there for a moment, completely baffled as to how he could even _ask_ that question. Wasn't it obvious? It had to be obvious!

"B-because! Because this is all your fault! You monsters ruined everything! You killed my family, and – and hurt me! You're evil and cruel and I _hate _you!" he yelled.

"Would you want to kill us?"

"Yes," Myrrha answered, not having to think it over at all. He wanted to kill them _so _bad. He wanted to make them pay for all the pain they caused him. For ripping away his life, his family, _everything_.

A strange smile formed on Raza's face. It wasn't like the normal, condescending and sadistic smirk he usually was almost… resigned? Sad, even?Myrrha couldn't figure out what it meant.

"In that case, you should understand the reasons for our revolution perfectly," the black haired man said, confusing Myrrha even further. Before the boy was able to say anything however, Raza turned back to his desk, picking up one of the papers and handing it back to Myrrha.

"Here's the speech for you to memorize. I doubt it will be very hard," Raza said, as if everything that they had just said never happened.

Myrrha quickly tried to forget it as well. It was all just more of the shark's mind games. He was always doing thing like that, messing with his mind, trying to make it easier for them to control him. To get him to sympathize with that bloody so-called wasn't going to let it work. Everything Raza said was a lie. He couldn't listen to any of it.

He hated them. There would never be _any _way for him to understand them. Of that, he was certain.

…

The next week passed rather quickly, as far as time spent locked away with nothing to do went.

Myrrha allowed himself to be led down the hallway by Taj. At least it had been the reptilian +anima's responsibility to get him ready for the festival today. He didn't want to have to deal with Raza or Ilham or Fatin any more than he needed to, and Taj was always a bit gentler when dealing with him than the others.

He was already dressed in the outfit they'd picked out for him for the festival, silver silk with gems encrusted around the collar. Sleeves long enough to hide any of the scars he'd gained over the year, although even if anyone saw it wouldn't matter. He'd learned from an experience with Kazana. The young hawk +anima had caught a peak of his arm and automatically placed it as evidence of his abuse at his family's hands.

And Myrrha never could bring himself to shatter Kazana's illusions. Not that the birdbrain would believe him. And he was a little… not afraid, but _concerned_, that the four would forbid Kazana from speaking to him as well. Even at the rare official functions where he was allowed to 'speak', not one person had ever directed anything more than a formal greeting his way… and there were never more than ten people anyway.

He wasn't bothering to attempt to escape at the moment. That would come later. During the actual festivities, when everyone was hopefully too busy to pay attention to him.

"You memorized your lines?" the reptilian +anima asked. Myrrha just nodded, his mind still away in his possible escape plans.

Those plans were what had been keeping him sane when he was locked away. Just the idea of being able to one day be able to escape that monotonous torture. Escape from Sailand, to somewhere no one would recognize him. Maybe find his missing brother, Keane.

Taj pulled him into a room, quickly shutting the door behind them. It was mostly empty, like a lot of the rooms on this floor. Myrrha wasn't entirely sure what the rest of the palace looked like now, especially since they had probably decked it up for the festival. No one besides those four and sometimes Kazana ever came into this part of the palace, so it wasn't like they had to keep up appearance any.

"Raza will come here to get you once everything's ready. Make sure you don't mess this up, alright?" Taj said, though he smiled a bit as he gave the usual reminder.

He wasn't really worried – the one thing Myrrha had_ not_ ever tried was ruining a speech. Perhaps the boy's royal pride just couldn't allow action that 'commoners' would interpret as crazy. Or perhaps, as Raza insisted, the small king actually _cared_ on some level for those people he looked down on from the balcony and didn't want them involved in his fight.

Considering how little thought to dignity their little prince seemed to include in his often very vocal tirades, the latter actually seemed more likely.

Myrrha rolled his eyes and nodded, watching as the lizard +anima slipped out the room, leaving him alone. He didn't even need to try the handle to know the door was locked from the other side.

He wasn't sure how long it had been before the door opened again and Raza stepped inside. Probably about an hour or so. He'd been sitting on the floor, not concerned about possibly messing up his clothes, thinking of what he would do once he finally got out of here. Even if it didn't happen tonight, it was a nice thing to think about.

The young puppet king pondered in depth about ways to disguise himself. The varies channels and rivers that would eventually lead him out to the sea, how he would locate and catch food without being discovered himself. He reviewed everything he knew about Astaria, his most likely goal, within his mind, filing away what he knew of their economy, politics, culture, and relative dangers. And Keane. He'd have to find some way to locate Keane – probably have to ask around, once he was sure he was safe and wouldn't be recognized…

Raza cleared his shook himself out of his daydreaming and stood up, glaring at Raza. The black haired man simply smirked, placing a hand on the silver-haired boy's shoulder and leading him out of the room.

"Excited, my King?" Raza asked. The hallway they were walking down was empty, and Myrrha scoffed at the question.

"Let's just get this over with," he snarled, ignoring Raza's deep chuckle at his answer.

As they started down the stairs, Myrrha could start to hear hints of what was actually going on for the anniversary festival. They still had to go down another floor, passing several guards now before they reached it. The guards saluted them. Myrrha just gave a slight nod to acknowledge them on their way past.

The sound of the people in the great hall of the palace was nearly a shock to Myrrha's system as he came down the stairs. After the near silence of every day for nearly a year, the flood of music and people speaking beating down on his ears wasalmost overwhelming.

The crowd immediately noticed them as they stepped into the room. The sound of the cheers and clapping wasn't as loud as during his coronation the year before, but this onewas so much… _more_. Too much, really. Too close, too loud, too many. His heat pounded, his head began swimming, and he would've lost his balance on his own two feet if not for Raza.

Raza's hand on his shoulder tightened, bringing him out of his shock enough to focus on his act, smiling at the crowd, nodding occasionally in acknowledgment of the cheering, finally setting out on a dignified walk towards the dais at the head of the room. There was a throne already in place, where he'd guessed he'd be sitting during the majority of his speech. He wouldn't be speaking most of it; that was Raza's job. He just had to give the beginning and then wait for the rest to be over before he could leave.

Myrrha stood in front of the chair, not saying anything as he scanned the room waiting for the crowd to quiet down enough for him to speak.

Mostly +anima, if not _only _+anima. It was very likely the few still in 'human' form were just like himself, with animal forms that didn't quite work with everyday walking was a little unnerving, not that he'd admit as much. Some of them had probably even been here during the raid on the palace, generals and leaders and such. He spotted Kazana standing by a window, smiling at his encouragingly. He was surprised he'd managed to catch sight of him at all with how chaotic everything was.

There was a strange resemblance to the old parties and gatherings that had been held by his family. Back before he became a +anima, when he'd been allowed to go. The hundreds of people in their best clothing. The elegant music, played on traditional Sailandian instruments. The great room itself, draped in rich fabrics, decorated with exotic flowers. The air thick with the scents of various incense, perfumes, and delicacies.

It was wrong though, off from what he remembered. There weren't any familiar faces of his half siblings torturing him or the queens passive aggressive bickering. There didn't seem to be any kind of organized seating, and there was no sign of the thick political tension even his very young self couldn't help but notice. Not to mention the +anima – he'd _never_ seen a +anima during a party, not even as a servant. All the servants ministering to such events had always been completely human.

More than anything else, though, the thing missingwashis father. The real king wasn't up at the front, making whatever proclamations needed to be made. Myrrha had to fill that role now. He was to be the one up front with everyone staring at him… and he didn't like it.

For some reason he had to seriously focus on his breathing to actually keep it calm and steady. Just focus on breathing and remember his lines. Then he could get out of here. Away from all these strange people staring at him like he was some sort of god.

He wasn't. He wasn't even a king. He was just a kid! Why couldn't any of them understand or see that he didn't belong? Why couldn't they _see _what was really going on? Were they really that blind? He was being forced to do this. He didn't like any of this. He just needed to calm down and breath, just breath, and remember his lines, remember his lines, and oh, Raza was speaking, he should probably listen for his cue.

He'd focused just in time to realize that it was now his turn to speak. He took a quick, deep breath, stepping forward as everyone's attention turned from Raza to him.

"It has been a hard, long year of recovery for this country since the day of our great revolution, and there is still a long way to go before we can rest! But I could not be prouder with how far Sailand, and her people, have come in this time. Today is a day to celebrate the great efforts of those who strived for equality in this country, not just in the past year, but since the birth of our homeland. People of Sailand, your efforts up to this point are most precious, and surely will become even more so in the great struggle to come! The struggle for a day when every man, woman, and child can truly stand on his or her own feet and be proud of who and what they are! Can be recognized as a full, valuable, precious member of society, and a treasure, unique, to our motherland! We have come far, my people, and so, this day, we rejoice in our achievements and, for one day, put aside the worries of tomorrow! In honor of the anniversary of the New Kingdom of Sailand, we dedicate this festival to the People of Sailand – rejoice!"

Myrrha spoke confidently, every inch a grand king. The shaking panic inside of him actually hid away for a moment, as the poetic words of hope and equality echoed in his own ears and found a place in his own heart – even as he knew it was all ridiculous propaganda. How could a nation be equal, be proud, when the king they worshiped was a slave himself? Despite his 'memorizing', he'd actually adjusted some of the wording to make it easier to remember and deliver the short speech – which inadvertently made the message all the more personal.

And the people could sense that emotion in their small, yet strikingly beautiful, king, even if he could not himself. Even the four found themselves somewhat stricken, though in different ways. Raza was absolutely delighted. Taj was almost in tears. Ilham couldn't help but stare in something close to awe. And Fatin sulked in the back of the room, before angrily slipping out before anyone noticed her.

A large cheer broke out in the room, carrying on for several waited until it began to die down before speaking again. He continued on for a good, long time – at least a quarter of an hour. Myrrha had already toned him out, and just barely caught something about how their king is feeling a bit under the weather, and thus will not be able to partake in all of the festivities. He knew they would have some excuse ready to stow him away in his room again after his appearance and speech.

To his surprise, once Raza had concluded the speech, he helped him to the throne instead of back to his room. Taj and Ilham soon approached with several of the 'powerful' people Raza had earlier mentioned. Raza invited them up onto the dais and they all introduced themselves to King Myrrha, one at a time, bowing deep, eyes shining with adoration and loyalty.

Myrrha was sure he was supposed to recognize some of them, but honestly he'd never paid much attention in those rare, small meetings he'd been forced to attend. He did his best to act as the doll he knew the four wanted, that the people strangely seemed to idolize, even while inside he trembled and wanted to scream and just wished they would hurry up. He didn't like all this attention. He wanted to hurry up and go back to his room. He didn't like all the noise and clapping and staring. He just wanted to be alone. He didn't want to be seen.

Thus, unknown to himself, his face grew even paler and his trembling soon became evident – only giving credence to Raza's earlier declaration that the king was ill, but had still made the heroic effort to be here for his beloved people.

Finally, Raza placed his hand back on the boy's shoulder, helping the boy upright. Myrrha bowed to the crowd, who cheered loudly once again, before finally being led out of the room. Without even thinking about it, he let out a sigh of relief as they left the busy room behind them. The noise and music starting to fade ever so slightly with each step.

Beside him, he heard Raza start to chuckle slightly, knocking him out of the stupor that he'd slipped into during the rounds of introductions.

"I didn't realize you were so nervous, my king," he commented, starting to walk the young boy up the stairs. Myrrha instantly snarled at him, attempting to shrug the shark +anima's hand off his shoulder, but failing.

"I wasn't _nervous._ I just didn't like all the noise," he declared, insulted.

Raza just smirked slightly as he led the boy back to his room.

Myrrha supposed he should be upset that there hadn't been any chance for him to escape from the great hall. That was the only reason he'd actually thought this whole thing might end up being useful. In the end, they hadn't let their guard down on him for a second.

He supposed there was still a chance though… While they were all busy with the party, they wouldn't be able to watch him. If he could get out of his room, he still might be able to get away after all.

Really though, he was just glad he was going back to the quiet of his room. After a whole year of isolation and careful, calculated meetings, being thrown in front of all those people… it was a shock to his system. He didn't like it. He just wanted to be alone again.

Something told him that wasn't a good thing. He didn't particularly care at the moment.

…

Nana frantically made her way from room to room, trying to make sure that everything was in place. She wasn't the only one rushing around, and the young girl tried her best to keep from running into any of the other maids and workers as she attempted to run down the checklist of everything she needed to get done in her head for the umpteenth time.

During her first few months working at the palace, it had been slow but steady, which was helpful for allowing her to adjust to everything. It let her have the time to learn just where the rooms she needed to clean were, as well as the cleaning supplies, laundry room, kitchen, servant's quarters… simple things like that. It also allowed her to set into a nice routine. The work still kept her busy though, not with so little to do that she was just standing around feeling useless.

Now though, things were a frantic mess! The work kept her rushing around, constantly dodging people, as she tried to keep up with everything at the party going on. Her and several other maids kept running back and forth from the kitchen, making sure that there was a constant supply of food for all of the guests, as well as quietly cleaning up any spills, refreshing the incense, and making sure the musicians and head attendants had everything they needed so there would not be a break in the atmosphere.

The brunette girl kept her wings closed tightly to her back as she carefully avoided knocking into anyone. These people were personal guests of the _king_ after all! The only reason she was even able to be in this room right now was because she was replacing an empty tray with another full one.

She made sure to keep her head down as she worked, although inside she couldn't help but feel flustered as she took glances and tried to place who all these important people were. She didn't let the bit of star-struck she felt get in the way of her job though, quickly hurrying back into the kitchen with the empty tray.

That that didn't stop her from counting generals, various leaders, newly appointed lords and ladies and ministers of the new government and its many divisions…

"I hear the king is going to be coming to make a speech soon!" she heard one of the other servants say as she entered the back kitchen, placing the tray down with the others in order for it to be washed. There wasn't anything else she needed to take out right now, so she started to work on the dishes as she listened to the other girls talk.

"Oh! I would love to get to actually see him up close! I wonder if it would be alright for us to stand in the back while he makes his speech?" a turtle +anima asked giddily.

Nana couldn't get but get excited herself at the prospect of seeing their young king making his speech. Since she started working here, she hadn't had any chance to actually see him, but that was to be expected. What were the chances of a little maid actually running into the king after all, especially in a palace as big as this one?

"Do you think we would get in trouble?" Nana spoke up, although truthfully she wasn't _too _worried about getting in trouble, she just didn't want to end up losing her job. Surely their boss wouldn't do something like that if they just took a break to listen to the speech for a few minutes though, right?

"Nope! You haven't heard? Actually, Lord Taj himself invited all us servants to the speech! He said it was King Myrrha's request!" a third girl announced, and Nana couldn't help but giggle with excitement. Even better than she could've thought!

The king was still a bit of a mystery. There were just as many rumors about him now as when people had first started talking about him a year ago!

Several other servants had also been told of their invite by Lord Taj, so the whole staff quickly finished up any urgent work before rushing towards the great hall. The room was bustling with people! Nana had never seen so many +anima with their powers out! She didn't feel self-conscious about having her anima out anymore, especially after a whole year of +anima being free, but it was still incredible to see so many gathered in one place.

A loud cheer went up as the king made his way into the room. Next to her Nana heard one of the other maids say something about how handsome he was, and she nodded in agreement, even though in the back of her mind she couldn't help but think there was something rather girly about him up close. Not that he wasn't incredibly, amazingly beautiful – just it was more of a doll's beautiful than a king's handsome, to her eyes.

She quickly pushed that thought away as she listened to the tall man next to him start to speak. Was this the same guy as back during his coronation? She couldn't quite remember, but she didn't think so. If her memory served right, wasn't it Lord Ilham at the coronation? The man on the dais now was… Lord Raza, that was it! He wasn't as well known, being more of an organizational behind-the-scenes type figure. Plus he wasn't nearly as large and noticeable.

Soon the King himself started speaking. His voice has a strange accent to it, which was much easier to hear actually being in the same room as him instead of watching from a faraway balcony. It was an unusual, but quite pleasant, burr to the lower vowels of his words, making the overall tone almost husky sounding… very different from the usual Sailandian accent in their capital city of Stella. But with the queens of the old harem being from all over, it wasn't really that surprising, she supposed.

As soon as he finished speaking, a huge cheer went up! Nana smiled from ear to ear as she clapped along with everyone else. Once the noise started dying down slightly, the staff quickly made their way back towards the kitchen. They'd already spent enough time away from their valuable work.

Before the young bat +anima entered into the kitchen though, someone slinking across the room caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. A tall teen with huge wings was looking around, as if making sure that no one was watching him, before disappearing into a normally closed and locked door that led to the restricted floors of the palace.

Nana frowned, stopping as she stared at the door. There was something about that man that she didn't like. A couple other maids quickly noticed that she had stopped and turned back to look questioning at the bat +anima. She quickly forced a smile onto her face, trying to think of a reason to slip away from them. Just for a moment. Just to make sure that guy wasn't up to anything.

"I'll be back in just a second. I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick," she said. The two nodded before making their way into the kitchen, already bustling with renewed activity. Nana hesitated just slightly before starting towards the door the tall teen had disappeared into. Quickly glancing around, she slipped inside, walking fast to try to catch up with him.

She would just make sure everything was in order and then get back to the kitchen. She was probably just overreacting, but you could never be too careful.

* * *

><p>Once again, so very sorry for taking so long on this chapter, I hope it was even half worth the wait. The next one should come out much quicker, thankfully.<br>Well, as always thanks for reading, and if you're not too mad at me please review.


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